The Midnight Hour - Brenda Jackson [52]
Tori sighed. That hadn't actually been the way the conversation between her and Hawk had gone but it was close enough to suit her purposes and hoped it suited Drake's curiosity as well. She peeked up at him, noticing in relief mat he seemed to buy it.
A mischievous grin touched his lips. "Oh, yeah, I'd almost forgotten about that time in Russia. My mountain-climbing skills had gotten rusty, but I still managed to do what needed to be done."
She nodded. "Do you need help packing?"
"No, just keep your eyes and ears open."
She glared at him. "You don't have to tell me that."
"Sorry. My mistake." While stuffing everything back into his overnight bag, Drake watched as Tori paced the room. His gaze followed her movement, appreciating the sexy sway of her hips with every step she took. Her thighs seemed curvier since he'd last seen her. She was wearing a blue tank top and a pair of khaki shorts that showed off her long, shapely legs.
And those perfect, round breasts pressed against her tank top; breasts that he knew would fit right beautifully in the palms of his hands. He could barely take his eyes off of her. Her hair was somewhat longer, the curls framing her face and flowing down her shoulders. He liked the new style and thought it enhanced her features even more.
He knew tonight's experience had probably thrown her for a loop. Going out of the country on a mission was one thing; you expected the unexpected. But right in your backyard where you felt safe and sound, was a different matter. The last thing you would expect was to become someone's target. He knew Hawk was probably working with the local FBI as well as the CIA to determine who was behind what was going on and why.
She stopped pacing, turned to him and caught him staring. He saw the look of wariness in her eyes. "Are you sure you don't need help?"
"Yes, I'm positive." He snapped his overnight bag shut and had a deep feeling that something wasn't right. She was hiding something and he could feel it. He didn't like surprises. Crossing the room to her, he closed the distance between them, cocked his head to one side and looked down at her. He could tell his close assessment was making her nervous.
"What are you looking at?" she snapped.
He smiled. He knew she had to feel vulnerable, her stony control shaken somewhat. But this was the Tori he wanted to see: the feisty woman who had been his partner when they had gone into the jungles of Costa Rica; the lady who was full of fire and had one smart-assed mouth on her. A luscious mouth he'd enjoyed kissing.
"I'm looking at you," he finally answered, his tone challenging. "For some reason I think you're holding back, that you're not telling me something. Are you sure you have no idea what's going on, Tori, or why anyone is after you?"
She placed her hand on her hips and glared up at him, holding his gaze boldly. "No, I have no idea what's going on or why anyone is after me." She breathed in deeply. She had her thoughts but she wouldn't share them with him. "All I know," she continued, "is that one evening I received a phone call and the person hung up. A week later, someone tried to break into my home. Then earlier tonight I received a call from Hawk telling me I needed to go into hiding. In the process of following his orders, I encountered that sedan who was dead-set on ending my life and probably would have if you hadn't shown up when you did."
Drake shook his head. "No."
Tori lifted a brow. "No, what?"
"I don't think they wanted you dead."
With an exhausted sigh, Tori tipped her head back and looked at him. "Excuse me?"
"Whoever was after you tonight didn't want you dead."
Tori continued to stare at him, confused. "What makes you think that?"
Because you're still alive. The person driving that car had plenty of time to blast you away had they wanted to. I think they intended to run you off the road and take you.”
Tori swallowed deeply. What he was saying didn't make sense but when she thought about it, he was right. Even before Drake had shown up, there had been plenty of time for the