Pandora's Box Page 18

  She giggled at the sight of him in teddy bear boxers. They were dark blue with the cutest little bears littered over them. What kind of a Navy SEAL wore underwear like that?

  “Think that’s funny, do you?” He scooped her off her feet and turned her

  upside-down, dangling her over the creamy carpet. She squealed, the playful child inside of her coming out for the first time in years. “I’ll show you funny.”

  “Put me down!” She laughed so hard that her stomach hurt. “Put me down or I’ll hurt you. Come on. And don’t drop me.”

  He set her gently on her feet. Her laughter died when their eyes met and sexual tension coiled in her stomach once again. She’d never felt so at ease with another human being, able to laugh uncontrollably, letting down her guard, and then falling back into total desire for that person.

  His cell phone began to play that damn song again. With a muttered curse Tyler retrieved it. He glanced at the caller ID. “Guess who?”

  “Brett.” She rolled her eyes, thinking how she was going to slap Brett silly when they finally met. “Aren’t you going to answer it?”

  “He’ll call back.” Tyler tossed the phone.

  “Couch or bed?” she asked with a giggle.

  He smiled. “Ladies’ choice.”

  Her eyes went to the couch. It was probably a foot too short for Tyler to stretch out on. Of course there was always the floor directly in front of the fireplace. But that brought back instant memories of her father’s cabin. She wanted to forget her problems, drown in Tyler’s arms.

  “Maybe we should go upstairs and find a comfortable bed.”

  Other men might have carried her upstairs and other women might have let them. Madison and Tyler ran up the stairs. She got to the top first, but she had a feeling he might have let her win. Laughing again, she found the biggest bed in the house and jumped onto the center of it, bouncing like a kid. She felt free and totally uninhibited, no alcohol necessary.

  Tyler went to the left side of the bed, smiling at her. Then he changed direction, circling to the right side, and looking at her from every angle like a hungry tiger. She watched him, moving her body to keep facing him. Instead of joining her, he went to the end of the bed where she had leaped on. His eyes, still hungry, took in every movement she made.

  Although she wanted him desperately, this game he played so expertly had her craving his touch more and more with every passing second. It had reached an almost unbearable pitch. Her nerves sizzled with sexual awareness. She’d obviously met her match in Tyler.

  There was a small silver radio set on the dresser. Tyler turned it on and found a sexy song. He turned the volume low.

  Madison stood in the center of the bed, confident of her appeal. She did a slow dance for him, reveling in the way his eyes seemed to memorize everything she did. Turning around, hips swaying to the music, she reached back to unhook her bra. She took her time letting it go, her back to her future lover. Let him drool for awhile.

  She turned around inch by inch, rocking her pelvis. The bra fell to the mattress. Her arms went over her head, swinging gracefully. She’d never been more glad to be in good shape. The millions of sit-ups she’d done over the years had paid off. The way Tyler was looking at her made her swell with pride.

  With a mischievous smile, she flipped over, hands on mattress, feet flying over her head. She sailed off the bed, landing in his outstretched arms.

  “You’re out of your mind,” he said, surprised by her athletic dismount.

  “I knew you’d catch me. I trust you. I think I always have deep down.” He lowered her on the bed and followed her down, his body stretched beside hers. She traced his sexy lower lip with her finger. “Please don’t prove me wrong.” She gently pinched the lip between her fingers, catching his attention completely. “If you betray me, I’ll kill you.”

  And she meant it.

  His eyes, a study of seriousness, gazed into hers and he said, “Hey, I don’t trust people either. It’s kind of hard in this business. So many people are liars, twisting their evil deeds until they can justify the things they do.” He kissed her solidly on the mouth as if sealing a deal. “So if you turn out to be one of them, if you’re working against me, if this is all an elaborate ruse, right back at you, honey.”

  “Understood.” She wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him down for a long, lingering kiss. Her tongue slipped between his lips, tasting him. “But just so you know. I’m one of the good guys. I won’t betray you.”

  “Good to know.” He smiled and his hand slipped down to her lacy panties. His fingers teased her, brushing over the area softly instead of really touching her. She longed for something more tangible. He added, “Enough talk. I want you now.”

  “I hope nobody calls this time,” she said, remembering their last attempt at lovemaking.

  Tyler groaned at the bad memory. He buried his face in her neck, his breathing growing heavier by the minute. He touched her tentatively at first. She pressed against his hand, silently begging for more and he gave it to her. His fingers delved deep, exploring her femininity.

  Madison bit his shoulder, already close to losing control. She wanted to make it last as long as possible. The salt of his skin lingered on her tongue. She threw back her head on the pillow and moaned. Her entire body stretched right down to her toes. Her heels dug in to the mattress. She arched her back, pushing her entire body up to meet him.

  “Please, Tyler, now!”

  She lost herself in a beautiful haze. Her hands gripped his back, kneading the muscles as they flexed, clenched, and released. Emotional overload. She couldn’t think. Her brain shut down. But her other senses came to life for what seemed like the first time. She moved with him, beneath him.

  How could anything feel this good?

  They were two halves of a whole. She knew what he was going to do before he did it. Making love to him felt so incredibly familiar. Why?

  Stars shot through her head. She collapsed on top of Tyler’s chest, her own heaving as she tried to catch her breath. They lay together in each other’s arms, both soaked in sweat.

  “Wow!” he exclaimed, destroying the silence. “You are one hell of a woman, Madison Grey.” He pushed damp strands of hair away from her face and asked, “How do you want to handle this? Can I hold you tonight or would you prefer to roll off to the side of the bed? How do you like to sleep after making love?”

  Truthfully, she usually wanted to get as far away from the guy as possible. Even with DeMarco. Somehow this was different. She clung to him, hoping he didn’t mind. “I could fall asleep like this.”

  And they did.

  But before Madison drifted off, several flashes of memories filled her mind, overwhelming her. She kept her eyes closed because she wanted them to continue. Snatches of dreams or real memories, they were wonderful and Tyler starred in every single one. A smile played across her lips as she watched them.

  Tyler chased her down a flight of stairs, caught her around the waist, and swung her in a circle as she laughed.

  She pulled a sweater over his head and tossed it. They made love on a red couch in front of a roaring fire.

  They danced a beautiful waltz in a roomful of people before going to work on the safe upstairs.

  She and Tyler split up, guns drawn and ready. She went to the back door of a seemingly abandoned house while Tyler kicked in the front door. Bullets were fired. She worried Tyler might get hurt. He was everything to her.

  Tyler rubbed the side of her head, a habit of his, and warmth spread through her. He smiled. She returned it. Gazing deep into his eyes, she knew this was where she belonged.

  Trapped inside her house and outnumbered. A voice called out to her, taunting her with lies. The woman told her that Tyler was lying in a gutter somewhere, having been shot in the head by her. But it couldn’t be true. Madison wouldn’t believe it. Tyler was okay. She just had to get out of this mess and find him.

  Present time, Madison shot up in bed, dren
ched in sweat. The sheets were tangled around her limbs and Tyler wasn’t in bed next to her anymore. Fresh morning light dappled across the walls, peeking through the parted curtains. She could hear the shower running and Tyler singing off-key.

  The song brought on another flood of short movies to her mind, events that couldn’t possibly have happened. Could it be another side-effect of the microchip?

  How could it be? Her microchips had been rendered useless.

  Then she remembered what Grainger had told her about the ‘boxes’ he stored memories in. What if her Pandora’s Box had just opened and memories were spilling out? Could they be real? Or was she seeing visions that had been implanted into her subconscious?

  They could be hallucinations brought on by something Grainger did to her while destroying the microchips in her brain.

  Tyler exited the bathroom, towel draped around his lean hips. His dark hair had been combed straight back and he hadn’t shaved yet. He looked so incredible. She wanted to throw back the covers, invite him to return for another session, but something had changed between them. She felt it even if he didn’t.

  “You’re pale,” he said. “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head, not trusting her voice to be steady. Until she knew what the visions meant, she didn’t feel right about sharing them with Tyler. Not yet. If they were real, then she and Tyler shared a past.

  And if they weren’t real…then someone was still messing with her head.

  He crossed over to the bed, sat next to her. His eyes stared fixedly at her face. She was surprised when his cell phone rang. He sighed and grabbed it off the dresser, still watching her. At some point he’d retrieved it from the living room while she slept. The conversation was short and terse. She couldn’t tell what was going on from his side of the conversation, but it sounded important.

  When he got off the phone, he said, “Get dressed. We’re going home.”

  Had he lost his mind? “We can’t.”

  “My father says they found evidence that your buddy DeMarco may have been involved. They’re also following a few other leads. None of them you. My father believes in your innocence now.”

  DeMarco? A traitor? She didn’t believe it.

  “I’ll still need to turn myself in,” she said. “I murdered him in cold blood.”

  “You’ll probably get a medal for that. Relax. My father told me everything is fine. We can go home without any repercussions.”

  “Since when do you trust your father?”

  “Since when do you not trust him?” Tyler scowled and he used an extra towel to rub his wet hair. “He’s gotten the CIA and FBI to back off of us. There isn’t any reason for us to be out in the cold anymore.”

  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What if it’s a trick? They called me a terrorist. How do you know they won’t arrest me on sight?”

  “I won’t let that happen. Would you please trust me on this?”

  Trust. Why did that word keep popping up? He had no idea what he was asking. Her eyes strayed to the bed. They’d made love, and she’d felt closer to him than any other human being on earth. She didn’t want to lose that.

  “Okay.” She shrugged. “We’ll go back to Washington. Did your father have anything else to say?”

  “He’s sent a private plane for us. We need to hurry and get dressed.”

  It was all happening so fast. Madison’s head spun in dizzy circles. She wasn’t sure what to think anymore.

  An invisible wall sprang up between them, and she didn’t know how to breach it. Feeling vulnerable, Madison stared at the wall behind him. She didn’t know what to say or what to do. Leaving their love nest didn’t seem to be bothering Tyler. He was behaving as if nothing wonderful had happened between them last night.

  Madison snapped into professional mode. “Let’s go then.”

  And he was out the door. Madison scrambled off the bed and rifled through the homeowner’s drawers. She found a pair of jeans and a sweater that fit. As soon as she had them on, she bolted after Tyler. Her gut told her this was far from over.

  The thing that bothered her the most at the moment was the fact that Tyler seemed happy to be going home. They’d made love last night. Yet, Tyler hadn’t said a sweet word to her, touched her, or tried to kiss her this morning.

  Madison followed Tyler out of the house while staring daggers into his back. One thing was for sure. She wasn’t going to tell him about her dreams or visions, whatever they were. First she wanted to figure out what they meant.

  ******

  An hour and a half later, Madison boarded the private plane that the president had sent for them. Tyler remained outside with the pilot, going over their itinerary. He’d asked Madison to go make herself comfortable. In other words he didn’t want her anywhere near him. Paranoia set her teeth on edge. Why didn’t he want her close to him?

  The plane’s interior screamed money. Instead of chairs there were two soft couches facing each other, a wet bar, and two rows of lovely windows for gazing at the perfect, blue sky. She poured herself a shot of whiskey before collapsing on the end of one soft couch. She folded her legs beneath her, half-turned, and watched Tyler talk to the pilot. He really was a gorgeous man.

  “Good to see you again,” drawled a familiar voice.

  The drink in Madison’s hand shook, nearly spilling when she saw DeMarco framed in the cockpit doorway. For a dead man he looked great. He still wore the same clothes he’d died in, a suit covered in blood. His hair was disheveled and the fatigue she saw in his eyes had reinforced the lines around them.

  Madison let the glass go. It fell to the floor, splashing amber liquid over the luxurious carpet, but she barely noticed. She jumped to her feet and ran to DeMarco, wrapping her arms around his neck. She’d never been so happy to see anyone in her life. “You’re alive! But how? You lost so much blood, and Tyler took your pulse. He told me you were dead. What happened?” She squeezed him tighter. “Oh, it doesn’t matter. I’m so relieved to see you standing.”

  Her instincts woke with a sharp inner cry and her entire body stiffened. For a moment she’d forgotten what the president had said about DeMarco. But if it was true, if DeMarco was behind the assassination attempts, then what was he doing on a plane the president had sent?

  DeMarco’s arms hadn’t moved to return the embrace. He stood stiffly, arms at his sides, totally unmoved by her happiness at seeing him. Something was wrong. She pulled back, the smile frozen to her face. It died a quick death when she saw his cold eyes.

  “Marc? What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

  Were they right about him?

  “Not much, sweetheart.” He traced a finger down the side of her face. His expression chilled her. “The CIA and the Secret Service want the two of you pretty badly. You…a terrorist? Who would have believed it? I think I’ll probably get a promotion for this.”

  He thought she was the villain.

  Before she had a chance to respond, he spun her around. With one arm locked around her throat, he dragged her back to the couch. He forced her down on it. Madison tried to scream a warning to Tyler, but DeMarco had her voice box in a lock-down. She tried to kick him, tried to hit him. DeMarco seemed prepared for anything. He deflected each move easily.

  Cold metal snapped around her wrist. He’d handcuffed her to the couch’s wooden arm. Big deal. He thought he was going to turn her into the authorities. Somehow she’d get away and find a way to prove her innocence.

  “I thought I could trust you,” she said with a sneer. “You faked your death to make me crazy, didn’t you? It was all an act. Tell me, were you always acting? When we were together were you playing me?”

  DeMarco smiled at her, but he didn’t respond to the taunts. She jerked on the handcuffs, desperately wanting to get to him long enough to wipe the smug look from his face.

  “What are you going to do now, Marc? Are you going to take Tyler into custody, too? The president’s son? You’ll look like the world’s big
gest fool.”

  “Is that what you think?” He knelt in front of her, his knees on her feet so she couldn’t unman him with a kick to the groin area. He leaned over her lap. His hands traveled up the length of her legs, caressing hard as if he wanted to mark her. “I’m not taking either of you back to Washington?”

  If he wasn’t arresting them, then what was with the handcuffs?

  “Who are you working for?” she demanded to know.

  His smile widened and the unmistakable glint of insanity clouded his dark eyes. His hands slid between her thighs. She stopped him cold with a piercing glare and said, “If you don’t get your hands off me, I will kill you for real.”

  He blinked at her, not crazy enough to think she didn’t mean it. There was even a tiny speck of fear deep in those eyes now.

  Madison jerked forward, smacking his head with hers. A loud crack was followed by mumbled obscenities. He grabbed his forehead with one hand, staggered away, and removed the gun from the back of his pants with the other. “You bitch! I should kill you right here and now.”

  “What’s stopping you? Who are you working for, you lying pig?”

  He rubbed his forehead. His insane laughter echoed in the tiny confines of the plane. “I’m not going to shoot you. I have bigger and better plans for you.”

  “Really?” She forced her features to remain only partially interested. “And what is that?”

  “You’re going to go bang.” DeMarco’s laughter grew louder and louder. “There’s a bomb on the plane, sweetie. I made it just for you.”

  ******

  Chapter Fifteen

  A bomb?

  Madison’s blood became ice. She slowly turned to glance over her shoulder at Tyler and the pilot. They weren’t far enough away from the plane to save their lives. DeMarco had truly lost his mind. Or perhaps he’d always been crazy and she just hadn’t noticed. She looked back at his smirking face.