Death Echo

“Gotta admit, watching him with that little charmer makes me smile. A really unlikely combination.”
    â€œYou and smiling?” she asked, wide-eyed.
    He leaned close enough to nip her ear. “Someone as deadly as Faroe with a drooling, cooing, cracker-smeared toddler in his arms.”
    She gave him a nip right back. “Grace and Faroe both agreed that Demidov could have been lying.”
    â€œFrom hello to good-bye and most spots in between,” Mac agreed, watching her lips.
    â€œHe probably was telling the truth about his government’s relationship with the former Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia,” she said. “They’ve been at one another’s balls since the Berlin Wall came down.”
    â€œAnd the U.S. has been playing ‘Let’s you and him fight’ for just as long,” Mac said. “What doesn’t make sense is that Georgia would sponsor an attack of any sort inside the borders of its most powerful ally, the U.S.A. That moves straight down from stupid to suicidal.”
    â€œYou know that because you’re intelligent and you follow international news from time to time. I know the truth about the Republic of Georgia for reasons that national security prevents me from listing.”
    Mac stole the last sip of coffee from her cup.
    She ignored him and kept talking. “But how much would theaverage transit captain/dope smuggler and his arm candy know? Demidov made an educated guess that we’re as self-centered and internationally ill informed as the average American. For Jack and Jill Average, the Caucasus Mountains are a long way from anything meaningful, like finding a parking place or paying the bills.”
    Mac wished he could disagree, but he couldn’t. Too many citizens were happily uninformed about the larger world.
    For a moment, Emma looked wistful. “I wanted to be Jill Average. That’s why I quit the Agency.”
    â€œAnd I hoped to be Jack.”
    Mac put his hand on top of hers on the varnished teak table. She wove their fingers together.
    â€œI guess that makes us stupid,” she said, sighing.
    â€œFoolish.”
    â€œSame difference.”
    â€œNot always.” He lifted their joined hands and sucked one of her fingertips into his mouth. “I’ve decided I’ll take foolish over lies. Rather than lie, I’ll be blunt. I want you, which under some circumstances could be really, really stupid.”
    Her eyes met his. “What if I want you, too?”
    Mac felt his pulse increase. “Then we’re only foolish.”
    â€œFoolish,” she said neutrally.
    â€œIsn’t that supposed to be what happens when you combine business and pleasure? Foolish?” he asked.
    â€œUnder some circumstances, yes,” she said. “Now, what would be stupid is trying to get naked while stuffed behind this dining table. Makes the front seat of a sports car look like a limousine.”
    Mac’s slow grin transformed his face. “I like a woman who doesn’t lie.”
    â€œProve it.”
    He slid out of the banquette, pulling her after him. “Your condoms or mine?”
    â€œYours. I had to guess at size.”
    He gave a crack of laughter and headed for the master stateroom with long strides. “Not going to touch that.”
    â€œNo problem. I’ll take care of it for you,” she said slyly as they went into the stateroom.
    With a swift movement he lifted her and stretched her out on top of the bed. Then he looked at her.
    Just looked.
    â€œMac?” she asked uncertainly.
    â€œI’m trying to decide where to start.”
    â€œThat’s easy. Take off your clothes.”
    â€œI wasn’t thinking about my clothes,” he said.
    â€œI was.” Her hands worked at his jeans.
    His fingers returned the favor on hers.
    Despite side trips for kissing and laughing and tasting, they managed to get naked and locked together from tongues to tangled legs.
    â€œYou taste good,” she said, when her mouth was free.
    His tongue circled the tip of her breast, making her breath break. “Same for you. Really good.”
    â€œYes,” she gasped.
    â€œYes, what?”
    She wrapped her hand around his erection. “Yes, this .”
    She rubbed the drop of moisture around his hard tip, making him lose track of their game of words. Her hand slipped down, then up, then down, until all he wanted was to be inside her, feeling all