When he met her eyes again, she worried she’d said more than she should know.
Sadness clouded the green of his iris. “We were. We had a falling out a long time ago.”
“Good friends are hard to come by.” She ran her hands up his chest. Almost eye to eye without the stilettos, she could see deep into his.
He dropped his head and shook it, tried to turn from her but she held tight again.
“Why won’t you let me go?” His expression teased.
She sensed diffused rage. “Why should I?”
Wyatt moved his arms to her waist and pulled her into him again. Their eyes locked, emotion passing from one to the other. Charley withheld her moan as pleasure filled her. Wyatt tilted his head, and with a deliberate and gentle touch, eased his lips to hers again. The kiss burned into her psyche and ignited fires long since dampened.
Wyatt shifted as Charley did. They moved together as if they’d known each other forever. Their tongues teased, breath escaped and bodies pulsed-heartbeats in sync.
Charley closed her eyes as Wyatt relaxed in her arms. Her fingers tickled the back of his neck-a place she’d found he loved before.
He shivered under her touch.
Charley pulled her lips from his. “There’s more, though.” She kept her gaze on his.
“Yeah, I guess since he knows about us, none of our interrogation can be in Kevin’s presence.”
Fear kept truth hidden. “I’m not sure what he knows, but I promised we would keep his cover.” Charley didn’t move away.
“We will, but will he keep ours?”
“It’ll help if I’m not Candie when we talk.” Her body trembled. “Wait.” She stopped, confused. “I thought none of them would remember.”
“They won’t if we inject them, but I’m not sure I can do that to a fellow American, or agent, if that’s what he is.”
“Then I will,” Charley said.
Wyatt pushed her hair behind her shoulder. His finger caressed the side of her neck. Charley let the sensation run through her-as memorable as if she’d been the eighteen-year-old he’d once known.
“Thank you,” Wyatt said.
“For what?”
“For opening up. For being honest. For telling me stuff you were probably sworn to keep confidential and for trusting me.”
Wyatt dropped her hand as she pulled away from him.
“Shall we get your information, then?” She turned to the door as Lily entered. Her sniff and tears sent panic through her. “Lily?” She pushed past Wyatt. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s… Chase…” She sputtered as James and Cael came in behind her. “He’s missing!”
“Who’s Chase?” Wyatt asked.
Charley didn’t respond. She moved to stand directly in front of James. “What do you mean?” Her entire body shook, hands clenched at her sides as if about to boil.
James leaned down to her as Lily wailed into Cael’s arms.
Cael firmed his lips while James’s quivered, but he drew his gaze to Wyatt’s. “Chase is our son.”
“Where is he?” As Candie, she stood toe to toe with him. Her fingers gripped his forearms. “Where is he?” Her voice broke.
“They don’t know.”
Unsure of his role but still aware of her impact on him moments before, Wyatt opted to leave logic behind. He put his hands on Charley’s shoulders.
She sucked in a breath. “What about Sophie?”
“Sophie is missing, too,” James said.
Charley shook her head, turned to Wyatt, grabbed his jacket and leaned her forehead against him. She breathed in deep again and released air. Lily’s sniffles continued.
“Tell me he ran away. This is a joke. Some stupid ploy.” Charley whispered with a pain so clear the hair on Wyatt’s arms stood on end.
Memories of long ago-the one time in his life he’d had the same emotion-a time he’d buried and ensured he’d never go through again.
James shook his head.
“This cannot be happening.” Her voice hitched, and she pulled at her hair. “Sophie was there to take care of him.” She whipped a hand out.
“They don’t know anything, Charley.” Even James struggled with the words, his voice cracking with each answer.
“I can make some calls,” Wyatt said
Charley’s voice broke. “Don’t leave me.” She clung to him-a lifeline that would break if he let go.
“I won’t leave.” He held her with one hand while he fished in his pocket for his cell. Her pain disconcerted him. Wyatt wanted to comfort but didn’t know how much he could, or should, offer. She’d become a part of his life through an investigation that she’d completed. If he could offer her some consolation, he would, but they’d part ways. She’d agreed and done more than he should have asked. He’d do the same.
“They could be wrong,” he said, though the scowl James made told him otherwise.
“They believe it’s a kidnapping, Charley, but with Sophie missing-” James ran a hand over his head. “Nothing is amiss at the house that anyone-only we’ll be able to tell.” He relayed the information as if he’d read it on the front page of a newspaper.
Charley’s lips trembled as she turned and poked her finger into James’s chest. Wyatt let go when James pulled her into himself.
“Wyatt?” James called over her head. “Please leave. Cael? Take Lily. Call the Sheriff. Find out everything you can while we pack. Wyatt, if you care at all about Charley, go. Now.”
“No,” Wyatt said.
James closed his eyes, tilted his head, and opened them again. “There are things you don’t understand. Charley is going to need some time… to herself.”
“She asked me to stay.”
“Wyatt?” James’s stare penetrated deep in Wyatt’s mind.
“Everything you’ve ever understood could be altered in one single moment, do you understand? For our sakes, you’ll need to keep it completely under wraps. Is that clear?”
Wyatt wanted to grab Charley and pull her back into his embrace. When she’d kissed him, he’d desired her with intensity. When she clung to him, he’d been empowered.
“No, but yes.”
James nodded once at him, leaning into Charley’s hair-the same way Wyatt had moments before. The sweetness in her had reached deep within him to memories that had evaporated. He’d always known smells had power.
