“He’s picking me up at five. Dinner’s atsix.”
“Do you know if they’re expecting you tolift cars tonight?”
“I think so. I haven’t heard otherwise.Viktor said I’d be busy all weekend.”
“I bet the shipment is going out early nextweek.” Jeremy ran his fingers through his hair. “Christy has beenpicking up at least eight cars a night, Mikado six, and those twogirls have lifted eight since Sunday. On top of that, Viktor saidAlexander was busy with work this week. It seems logical to assumethat the shipment goes out at the beginning of next week. If we’regoing to get that car back, I figure Christy is going to have tolocate the car by tomorrow, and we’ll have to act on whateverinformation she finds as soon as we get it. We can’t let that carleave the country.”
“No pressure, Christy,” Halluis said.
“We knew it was a long shot from thebeginning. If the shipment sails before we get our hands on thecar, no one will be able to blame us.” Ace rubbed the back of hisneck.
“Whoa! Whoa!” I said. “You’re all actinglike it’s already over. It isn’t. Not by a long shot. I think Iknow what pier the ship will sail from. At least we can know itpretty quick.”
“What are you talking about?” Halluisasked.
“Carson’s family owns a shipping company.” Ilet that sink in. “It uses Red Hook terminal, and three ships aresailing this coming week.”
Ace stood and headed for the stairs, callingover his shoulder, “I’ll get on it.”
“Wait up,” Halluis called after him. “I’llgo with you.” And he, too, disappeared up the stairs.
Jeremy pushed back hard in his seat butdidn’t challenge me or tell me to be safe or anything. Somethingwas very wrong. He refused to make eye contact with me and tappedhis fingers on the table. He acted nervous, upset even.
“We will get the car back,” I said. “You’llsee.”
Jeremy stood and headed for the back door,again without any explanation, but I stopped him, putting my handon his upper arm.
He shrugged it off and kept moving towardthe door.
“Stop, Jeremy, please. We need to talk,” Isaid, a bit louder than I’d intended.
Jeremy sighed and turned halfway toward me,a note of exasperation in the press of his lips. “What about,Christy? I have things to do.”
I’d laid out a calm, rational argument in myhead, detailing Jeremy’s odd behavior and professionally asking foran explanation, but when faced with his show of indifference, Ifound myself speechless.
Jeremy shook his head and turned again toleave. “There’s nothing to talk about. Good luck tomorrow.” Heleft, shutting the door behind him.
I only paused for a second before wrenchingthe door open and racing down the few steps to Jeremy. I grabbedhis arm, but he kept moving toward his car. “What am I doingwrong?” I demanded.
He turned back and faced me, both of usbreathing hard, standing just inches apart in the pool of lightcast by the porch lamp. “You want to know what you’re doing wrong?You’re being too reckless, that’s what!”
I dropped his arm and took a step back. “Tooreckless? What are you talking about?”
“You put yourself in one dangerous positionafter another, throwing yourself after these psychopaths andcriminals without a second thought!”
“Throwing myself after them?”
“Yes! I told you to get close to them—youwere not supposed to be kissing them. Do you have any idea howreckless, how dangerous that was?”
“You’re treating me like some inexperiencedkid—you’ve been treating me that way all along. Don’t you think Iknow exactly what I’m getting myself into? I’m the one out there.I’m the one who has to make the call and decide what I have to doto get what we need. I am doing everything I can to accomplish thismission—”
Jeremy gripped me by the shoulders, andstared intensely into my eyes. “And have you ever oncestopped to think that this mission might not be worth everythingyou’re risking?”
That stopped me in my tracks. The look ofanguish on his face as he held me, his face only inches from mine,was enough to smooth away any trace of defensiveness I felt.“I—I—what are you saying?”
His words came out just barely above awhisper. “Christy—what could possibly be worth losing you?”
His hand moved to my cheek and I pressedinto it, even though it felt soft and tentative. I couldn’t believewhat I was hearing, but I didn’t dare doubt it. He pulled me closerand our eyes locked. I bit my bottom lip, and his eyes fell to mymouth.
Way too slowly, his perfect face movedtoward me until his lips were a breath away from mine. My lipquivered, and a desperate thrill went through me. I savored hisbreath mingling with mine before his soft lips touched mine. Therush of emotion that pulsed through me was foreign. This was allnew and wonderful. His lips moved gently across mine, his mouthwarm in the cold night air, and a pleasant shiver traveled up myspine.
A soft moan escaped his lips, and then hepressed his hungrily to mine. Fire ripped through me, and wecrashed into each other, our hands pulling us closer and closertogether. My body fitted his as electric desire, hot and sweet,raced through me.
His hands moved gently over my back anddrifted over my neck. I pulled him even harder to me and couldn’timagine ever taking my lips off his. My heart was beating so hard Ithought I might faint.
Then, something changed suddenly and just asexplosively as it had started, it ended. He pulled away, eyes wide,hands trembling on my upper arms.
“No.” He stepped back and curled his lipsover his teeth. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have…that was not…” Heswung his head to the side and closed his eyes. His chest rose andfell in a quick rhythm. “Oh, Christy. That shouldn’t havehappened.”
I stepped toward him. “Don’t you dare takethis moment away from me, Jeremy. Don’t you dare. I’ve waited forthis moment for so long, and it was beautiful and right and—” Mylungs hitched up, and I couldn’t breathe.
He stepped back. “No. It wasn’t right. Itcan’t be. I’m your handler. We can’t…” He pressed his palms to hisforehead and moaned. This was a different moan than the one onlyseconds
