“Now that you’ve told me, you’re not going to have to kill me, are you?” she joked, her smile spreading.
He moved quickly, rolling his body flush on top of hers, trapping her underneath, his eyes twinkling and his lips quirking upward. He leaned forward to nibble her ear, trailing kisses along her jaw until he reached her lips. Mumbling in between kisses, he said, “Only if I can kill you with orgasms.”
She gasped at the sensations running through her, her body vibrating. “Execution by orgasm. I like the sound of that.”
He lifted on his forearms and peered down. “There’s nothing I told you that’s secret knowledge. We don’t advertise, but what you know could be searched out by most anyone. But what I will ask, Jeannie, is that you don’t talk about this. I’d never want you to be in someone’s crosshairs. Plus, I work best with the element of surprise. So, anything we talk about needs to stay with us unless I tell you otherwise.”
She slid her hands to the back of his neck, putting enough pressure to bring his face closer to hers. With their lips barely touching, she vowed, “I promise.” With that, she kissed him harder, not surprised when he took over, and she decided death by orgasm was the best way to go.
The next morning, after breakfast, she walked into the bedroom to get dressed, catching Carson on his phone. Stopping quickly, she hesitated, uncertain if she should be there. He looked up and smiled, holding a forefinger up to indicate he’d only be a moment. Since he wasn’t trying to hide the conversation, she passed him on her way into the bathroom, her fingers trailing along the muscles of his chest, loving the slight hiss he emitted.
“Tonight, yeah. Weather still right? Good. No assignment changes unless necessary. With the storm, we’ll have the element of surprise. Should be in and out. Okay, I’ll be there in about an hour.”
She’d dressed quickly and met him in the bedroom as he put on his shoes. Linking fingers together, they walked toward the front door as he prepared to leave. Glancing at the solid wood, she grinned, cutting her eyes up toward him. “I might not ever be able to look at this door the same after last night.”
Barking out a laugh, he grabbed her and pressed her back against the wood, bending to kiss her. “The only thoughts I’ve ever had about doors before last night was how to lock them and how to get through them. Now, I’d have to say this is my favorite door of all.”
She lifted on her toes, and they kissed until all other thoughts fled her mind.
“I hate to say it, but I’ll be busy tonight,” he said, dragging her back to the present.
Crinkling her nose, she nodded. “I’m sure that’ll happen a lot.” Startling at a sudden thought, she asked, “Will you be safe?”
“There’s always a risk with what I do, but good planning and preparation make all the difference. So, yes, I’ll be safe.” He started to the door, then stopped and turned back. “Are you going to see Maggie today?”
“Yes, why?”
“Remember not to say anything when you’re in the house with her but let her know that a storm is supposed to be coming tonight and to not be concerned with what she hears.”
Uncertain of his meaning, she started to ask for clarification and then realized that much of what he did, she couldn’t know about. Nodding to show her trust, she added, “I’ll be careful with what I say and where I say it. Promise.”
With that, he kissed her hard and fast, and they both groaned when they separated. As he waved goodbye, he called out, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
As he drove away, she stood in her window and watched him leave again. With her fingers pressed against her still-tingling lips, she smiled. His life and profession weren’t ordinary, but then, neither was hers. She still had major decisions to make about where she wanted to work but now realized that with Carson in the equation, it could change everything. And that thought didn’t bother her at all.
The clouds were rolling in and the breeze had picked up as Jeannie and Maggie walked through the gardens. Their visit and conversations had been pleasant, both staying to innocuous subjects. She’d found out that Vincent, Juan, and Maria were back from Mexico and that Maggie had had dinner with them the night before. Afterward, she’d felt somewhat queasy and tired, so she’d had Penny walk her back to her house where she turned in early.
Now feeling better, Maggie was excited that Cheryl was due to come home tomorrow. “I talked to her about moving to my own place. The guesthouse is exactly that, for guests. It’s not my furniture. It’s not my style. It’s not my decorations. And all of that adds up to it’s not my home!”
With her arm around the older woman's shoulders, Jeannie nodded. “I know that’s important. Plus, I admit I’ll be glad when you’re not here. I still don’t trust Penny, and obviously, someone here wants to keep an eye and ear on you.”
“That makes no sense,” Maggie complained. “I don’t talk to anyone and don’t know anything. Sure, I have my suspicions about everything, but don’t want to cause trouble for Cheryl. I have no visitors other than you and certainly don’t talk about my suspicions. It’s all so vexing. I told her that you would help me move and that we would do it soon. She agreed that it made sense.”
“I think that’s very wise.” Looking around, Jeannie realized they were away from any possible listening ears considering there were no trees or bushes or buildings around. Leaning closer, she still lowered her voice. “I know a storm is coming tonight. I don’t want you to be afraid, no matter what you hear.”
“Oh, a little lightning and thunder has never bothered me,” Maggie assured.
Moving around so that she was standing in front of her, Jeannie added, “I don’t know what might happen tonight, but be prepared for anything. Just stay in your house and don’t come out, and you’ll be safe.”
Maggie held her gaze and Jeannie could see questions moving through her friend’s eyes. Then, nodding slowly, Maggie whispered in return, “Then I’m glad Cheryl’s coming back after the storm passes.”
“Me, too.”
With that, the two women made their way around the gardens and back to the guesthouse, where they were delighted to find Penny had already left.
After saying goodbye, Jeannie drove back to her house, the clouds darkening along with her mood. For reasons she couldn’t explain, unease moved through her, the impending storm unsettling.
21
After more meticulous planning during the day, as the night wore on, the Keepers were continually having to reevaluate the mission, and they were pissed as hell. And no one more so than Carson. They’d made it in and out of the building where the grapes were pressed. Stainless vats lined one side, large enough that workers used stairs to get to the top. Stainless conveyor belts on rollers so the grapes could be moved from one vat to the other lined the far wall. The building was quiet, allowing Dolby and Poole to get in and out after setting up surveillance equipment.
But now, Carson observed through night-vision goggles as the guards appeared to be on high alert, the workers around the warehouse carrying weapons, their stance defensive. Other than their weapons, they had no other equipment, which went in the Keepers' favor, along with the fact that Vincent Garza’s guards were woefully untrained.