Untouched
Samantha Hunter
Superheroine Risa Remington once had the power to read thoughts and emotions with a stroke of her fingertips.Until a lab accident changed everything. Now Risa has to learn to live in the real world–virgin territory for a girl who's never experienced life, love or sex. CIA agent Daniel MacAlister has orders to babysit gorgeous Risa. She can't fall into the wrong hands–she knows too much.But when Risa falls into his bed one night–soft, warm and naked–he's forced to go on alert. Because his mere sexual touch seems to have triggered her superpowers. And if she finds out what's really on his mind, it's game over. Literally.
Untouched
Samantha Hunter
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
My thanks to Birgit, my superheroine editor, for giving me the chance to write this very special book.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Coming Next Month
Prologue
“CARE FOR A SCOTCH?”
Daniel MacAlister stood by the window looking out at the rainy suburban landscape of Bethesda. While not as romantic as the spy rendezvous on foggy London bridges and deserted parks that happened in movies, Jack White’s Maryland town house served its purpose, and more comfortably. CIA field operatives—especially deep-cover ones like Daniel—didn’t have offices, but worked all over the globe on assignments that rarely made the papers. A coded phone call would summon him when he was needed.
Daniel couldn’t count how many times he’d stood in this spot, awaiting his orders. Jack always asked him if he wanted a drink, and Daniel always answered the same way. Jack’s offer was a gesture, a pro forma nicety that Daniel wasn’t expected to accept.
“No, thanks.”
“All right then, down to business.”
Jack took a folder from the black leather case on the desk and pushed it across the table, his voice matter-of-fact. “This is beyond top secret—destroy it when you’re done.”
The file, heavy in his hand, was as thick as a novel. Daniel frowned. “Remington? I thought she was decommissioned after the accident last year.”
Almost a year ago, Daniel had been infiltrating a secret terrorist lab discovered in the heart of the Nevada desert, with Risa Remington at his side. She wasn’t an agent—she was the government’s secret weapon, a mind-reading superhero. She’d lost her powers when something set off an electromagnetic blast in the lab—almost killing her, as well.
Jack took a leisurely sip of his drink, his sharp blue eyes meeting Daniel’s, revealing nothing. “That’s true. But she’s not adjusting to civilian life. We’re worried about her.”
“She’s become a threat?” he asked bluntly.
Jack shrugged. “We knew it was possible. But in spite of what people think, we’re not in the habit of killing someone just because they’re not useful to us anymore. We had to assume she’d stay quiet about everything she knows until she proved otherwise. She and her family have done a lot of good for this country. We owed her that chance, at least.”
“But you think she’s turning?”
“Uncertain. She’s exhibiting questionable behaviors. Isolating herself in her apartment, using her Internet aliases and underground contacts to get her hands on basic surveillance equipment. She’s emotionally unpredictable, unconnected to anyone in the real world, and she doesn’t have any experience with normal, everyday life. It’s been months since she went out on her own. We did what we could to help, but…”
“Why didn’t you just keep her here?”
“Maintaining her life here was expensive. The government couldn’t justify spending that amount of money to house a weapon that no longer works.”
Daniel had worked with Risa Remington a half dozen times over the years. In spite of Jack’s impersonal reference, Risa was human, an intensely beautiful woman, yet she didn’t seem real. Maybe it was convenient for everyone, including him, to think of her as not quite human. It was a disturbing thought.
All agents were strictly ordered not to touch Risa—she could read thoughts, emotions, secrets, even physical statistics like blood pressure or heartbeat, with the slightest touch. Daniel had broken the no-touch protocol to go back and pull her out of the lab. He hadn’t been reprimanded for his actions. After all, Risa was a valuable asset. At least, she had been.
Now she was on her own.
Daniel looked at Jack squarely. “What do you want me to do?”
“Make contact. Get inside. Basic recon—find out if she’s into anything she shouldn’t be. If she isn’t, then perhaps you can help her make a more successful adjustment.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Help her live in the normal world. Neutralize the potential for future threat.”
Daniel’s back stiffened, but his voice was calm. “You must be joking. Half the world is exploding out there and you want me to babysit?”
Jack finished the Scotch in one toss. “This is highly sensitive work—Risa is a special case, you know that more than anyone. You’re familiar—she’ll respond to you better than a stranger.”
“I doubt that. We never spoke, except for what needed to be said on a mission. She had no idea who took her out of that lab. I never saw her afterward.”
Jack’s features relaxed, dismissing Daniel’s objections with a wave of the hand. “You grew up in Falmouth. Lovely area. You have family there, right?”
Daniel nodded abruptly, not liking one bit where this was going. He wasn’t about to discuss his family with Jack, although there was probably little the CIA super visor didn’t already know. He could follow Jack’s logic. From the CIA’s perspective, Daniel was the perfect choice. He knew Cape Cod like the back of his hand, had grown up there. Daniel, better than anyone, could help Risa acclimate to the community without raising suspicion. If he were inclined to do that. Which he wasn’t, and he didn’t bother to hide the fact.
Jack’s tone was cajoling, but Daniel detected the steel underneath it. He wasn’t being given a choice; it wasn’t his job to argue.
“C’mon Daniel. You go home for a while. You blend in, get to see your family. It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? You keep an eye on Risa, maybe become a friend of sorts, maybe more, who knows? She’s a beautiful girl, and she’s never had any experience with men. Get as close as necessary to get the job done. Report back to us within six weeks, and if there are any signs of her having turned…” Jack’s gaze met Daniel’s as he delivered his final order. “You remove the threat. Permanently.”
1
“HALLOOO? Risa? I have your groceries…halloooo?”
Risa Remington glared at the wide-screen monitor that covered the surface of her small desk. She’d taped a check onto the door as a not-so-subtle hint for her neighbor just to leave the groceries there, but Kristy was getting more insistent about seeing Risa face-to-face.
Risa watched Kristy, who stood clearly in the path of the hallway video feed. If she didn’t open the door, Kristy would probably think something was wrong and get help. That was a hassle Risa just didn’t need. She was trying to keep a low profile, intent on drawing as little attention as possible to herself until she could form some plan for her life.
Plan. Right.
She’d been stuck in this hole of an apartment in this hole of a town for six months. She had no plan but surviving day-to-day.
She looked at the perky young woman on the monitor, her streaked blond hair twisted up into a fun ponytail bound by something pink and fuzzy, her clothes sporty and equally colorful. Risa ignored the twinge of envy that settled in her gut. She didn’t know how to be that kind of girl—pretty, lighthearted, carefree. She didn’t know how to be a girl, period. Her life had been about much more important things than pink sweaters and kicky highlights. Risa didn’t belong to that world—she had no idea what world she belonged in.
Maybe none.
Until she figured it out, she was staying put and depending on her neighbors’ willingness to help out their new “agoraphobic” tenant. Thank goodness for popular TV series like Monk that made it commonplace to be a phobic personality. It worked like a charm. She didn’t have to leave her apartment for anything; she didn’t have to talk to anyone. Until now.
It was obvious that Kristy wasn’t leaving until Risa opened the door. She had to be at least marginally friendly to the woman who’d brought her groceries. There was chocolate pudding in that bag. The only thing that was great about being off the government payroll was that now Risa could eat whatever she wanted. Her favorite thing was chocolate pudding. She could live on the stuff.
She opened the door as Kristy’s hand was poised midair to knock yet again. Risa forced a smile and a hurried excuse that were both lies.
“I’m so sorry, Kristy—I was in the bathroom and didn’t hear you. Are those mine? Thanks. I appreciate you doing this.”
Reaching for the very full grocery bag, she hoped to duck back in, but Kristy wasn’t so easily thwarted.
“I thought maybe you’d like some company. Today’s my day off, and I picked up some warm bagels at the bakery—do you have coffee?”
Kristy moved forward, comfortable with inviting herself in, apparently. More from reflex than anything, Risa’s arm shot across the doorway, blocking Kristy’s progress in a clear warning not to continue. When Kristy frowned, catching her eye, Risa forged another smile, and another lie.
“I’m sorry. Again. I just really have a lot of work to do today.”
“You said you’re a writer?”
“Yes. Technical. Freelance manuals for televisions, stoves, you know, that kind of thing. Nothing interesting. Nothing they put my name on.”
Kristy looked nonplussed. “Oh. Well. I just thought, you know, since you never get out that you might like someone to come in and chat for a while. I read on the net that agoraphobics like company, they just don’t like public places.”
Risa clamped her teeth together, pushing down her irritation at Kristy’s insistence. Her head was starting to hurt—the horrible headaches she’d had since the accident were fewer, but still intense—and her patience was wearing thin.
“Really, I just have so much work, but thanks….”
Tugging the heavy bag from Kristy’s arms and nodding toward the check still taped to the door, Risa started to turn away, annoyed that she’d have to find another way to get her groceries. Kristy was getting far too nosy.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Kristy’s voice seemed far away as Risa leaned against the door, the heavy bag disappearing from her arms as her knees turned to water. She heard a moan, probably her own, but as usual, when the headaches hit, she lost control completely. She didn’t even feel the floor as she slumped, her body numb, her mind vaulting into another place, and she was powerless to stop it….
“A PUPPY!” Risa cried out joyfully as the tiny chocolate Lab ran in a crooked line, its oversized paws sliding on the slippery floor as it made its way to her. She picked up the soft, brown bundle and nestled it close, looking up at her mom with great hopes that the puppy was not just a temporary visitor.
“Is he mine? Can I name him?”
“Absolutely, honey. He’s yours to keep. But you have to be very careful with him. He’s just a baby and will need a lot of love and training.”
“I promise. His name is Buddy.”
Her mother stepped back, looking at Dr. Laslow, who stood to the side, smiling, too.
“Dr. Laslow! I have a puppy!”
“I see that, Risa. Good for you. Now, can you tell me what his stats are?”
Her mother’s smile turned into a frown; Risa knew her mom didn’t like it when Dr. Laslow asked her to tell him things, but Risa didn’t mind. It was even kind of fun showing off her special powers.
Risa ran her small hands over the puppy’s silky coat, warm, happy feelings cascading through her. She answered the doctor’s question very clearly. “His heartbeat is one hundred seventy-five beats each minute, and his temperature is one hundred and one. He’s healthy.” She smiled, looking up for the doctor’s approval.
“That’s great, Risa. Can you tell me anything else about Buddy?”
“He’s happy. He likes me,” she announced with utter certainty and no small amount of pride. She couldn’t read the animal’s thoughts in the way she could a person’s, but she could pick up on its physical and emotional state.
“Uh-oh.”
“What, honey?” Her mother stepped forward, concerned.
“Buddy feels funny…he’s very excited. I think he has to go.”
She put the puppy down and sure enough, Buddy piddled immediately. Risa looked up, worried that the adults would be angry and take Buddy away. But her mom just smiled, reassuring her everything was fine. Dr. Laslow was too busy writing something in his notebook to notice. Her mom was saying something to her, and she listened closely, but she couldn’t quite hear…it wasn’t making sense….
“Risa. You’re okay. Just rest a minute.”
Opening her eyes, Risa stared at the blank, off-white stucco of her apartment ceiling, interrupted by Kristy’s very concerned expression as she leaned over and looked down into Risa’s face.
“What did you say?”
“You passed out. You must not have eaten enough this morning, had a blood sugar dip. Are you hypoglycemic by any chance?”
“No. You can go. I’m fine.”
Kristy knelt by where Risa lay on the floor, putting a hand to Risa’s forehead, much in the way Risa’s mother used to do, and pushed her hair back.
“I’ll just stay with you for a while. Make sure you’re okay.”
Risa pulled back—she didn’t like being touched. The dream was still too fresh, the reality too sharp. When Kristy touched her she felt…nothing. Touching just reminded her of how cut off she was, how much she’d lost. It had taken her months to get used to using her computer manually; she felt cut off there, too, but had managed it. People were a different story.
A mere touch once told her everything she had needed to about the world and the people around her. Now she could see nothing. The constant blankness induced a sharp anxiety she couldn’t bear. It reminded her of when she had touched her parents after their deaths, frantically running her hands over their faces searching for some connection, seeking some thought or memory, but there’d been nothing. They were blank, cold—gone from her.
The flashback played before her eyes again. Buddy had been with her for years, her best friend. Her only friend. She hadn’t had another pet since he died when she was fourteen, ten years after he’d skidded across the floor into her arms. She still felt the pinch of losing him around her heart.
“I said I’m fine.”
She stood up, putting distance between herself and Kristy, heading for the door to make it clear she wanted Kristy to leave.
“Fine, I’ll go, but I’d like to know something first.”
“What’s that?” Risa shoved her fingers through her hair, impatient and anxious. Something had changed in the room, something was different about Kristy, her posture, her expression, but Risa couldn’t tell exactly what it was. She didn’t like being at such a disadvantage. She could sense something about Kristy’s mental state, but it wasn’t solid—like when a word you needed was just beyond your reach.
Kristy crossed her arms over her chest. “I’d like to know why you have a folder here with my name on it that tells you everything from what schools I attended to what men I date and what medicines are in my bathroom cabinet.”
Risa froze. Kristy must have snooped while she was unconscious. Her mind raced for what to say, how to cover the truth, but Kristy filled in the silence between them.
“I was looking for a doctor’s number when you passed out, a phone book or something with some information, and I found your files. I saw the hallway on your computer screen—you’re monitoring everyone in the building, aren’t you?”
Kristy pinned Risa with a shrewd gaze. “I’m guessing you’re not agoraphobic, either. Are you law enforcement? Is there something dangerous going on here? I want to know. Do you want to tell me exactly why you’re doing all of this, and how, or do I call the police and have them ask you?”
What the hell could she say? Kristy wouldn’t believe the truth—would she?
Risa’s urge to connect with someone, anyone, warred with her instinct to protect herself. She also hadn’t forgotten her duty to keep top secret information secret. Her former life was as top secret as it got.
As Kristy stood staring at her, Risa thought maybe she could tell her something—a version of the truth, if not the truth itself. She’d been watching Kristy for months—there was nothing to suggest she was untrustworthy, and Risa didn’t want the police digging around. Dr. Laslow had warned her about keeping a low profile. She had a normal life now, whatever that meant, but she still had to protect her past. Her powers might have disappeared, but all of the things she knew and witnessed hadn’t. As Kristy reached for the phone again—to dial 911, no doubt—Risa stepped forward, putting up a hand in a halting motion.
“Please, don’t call the police. I’ll tell you what’s going on.” She tried a smile, knowing her attempt was lame. “Did you say you brought bagels?”
AN HOUR LATER, the bagels sat cold in the center of the kitchen counter, uneaten. Risa’s appetite had faded and Kristy was listening with such rapt attention she’d forgotten to eat.
“I can’t believe this—are you serious? You worked for the government as a psychic? You could read people’s minds?”
“Yes, most of my life. My parents, too. And my grandfather. He approached the government in 1941, to help with the war effort. He felt it was his duty. He was already married and had my mother, who inherited the same ability, and then that was passed on to me. My father was a CIA agent, a regular guy. He met my mother back before…”
Risa drifted off. She couldn’t tell Kristy that, after her mother and father’s romance Dr. Laslow had made sure no such contact would be made with Risa. He’d said there was too much risk involved, too much access to secrets concerning Risa’s powers. She cleared her throat and just skipped the subject altogether.
“Since then, our family has worked for the government, secretly, of course.”
“Well, Reagan used to consult astrologers, I heard, and he took a lot of flack for that. So I can understand why they wouldn’t want to let the media know they used professional psychics—and back to World War II even! But you don’t have any powers now?”
Risa shook her head, relieved to be able to tell the truth on that, at least. She’d figured explaining her former abilities as psychic ones would be easier for Kristy to understand, without giving away too much. In reality, Risa wasn’t a psychic, though her abilities had paralleled what some psychics claimed to be able to do. People talked about psychics all the time; it was a useful, harmless comparison that would serve its purpose.
Unlike psychics, who were a more paranormal phemonemon, Risa had inherited a supercharged nervous system that was physically differently than any normal human’s. She could link with anything that held an electrical charge—man, animal or machine. She didn’t operate on what she “felt” or on vague images, as psychics did.
She couldn’t find dead bodies through dreams or pieces of clothing, though she could tell you exactly where a killer buried his victims just with a touch. Risa was hardwired to become part of what she touched. But it was best to keep her secrets, for Kristy’s own protection, as well as anything else. In spite of her lack of abilities, there were still nefarious people who might be interested in “studying” her.
“Yes, they’re all gone, so now I’m trying to lead a normal life. But I lived on government compounds since I was born—”
“Like an army brat?”
“Yeah. Like that. My parents died on a mission when I was five, and I was raised by the staff we worked with. I haven’t known anything else. Ever.”
Kristy’s eyes welled up, and she reached across the table just as Risa drew her arm out of reach of the comforting touch. “That’s just awful. You poor thing.”
“I liked it, mostly. I helped people. What I did was important.”
“And you’ve had these blackouts since your accident?”
Risa nodded. “They’re supposed to go away in time. That’s what Dr. Laslow said.”
“He’s your physician?”
“He was the doctor who took care of me since I was born. My mother, too.”
Kristy sat back, clearly astounded and processing the information. “I can’t imagine—you went on missions? Like a real spy?”
“Sort of. I was never really trained as a spy. They just needed me to ask people questions, you know, to find out information.”
It had, of course, been much more involved than that, but she’d already said more than she should, and was feeling anxious about her revelations. Risa had been trained to keep secrets, but it seemed the point of “girl talk” was to tell all, something she wasn’t free to do.
“So, you know all kinds of top secret stuff?”
Risa shifted uncomfortably. “Some. But you know the old line. If I told you about it, I’d have to kill you.”
Kristy smiled at the cheesy joke, and shook her head in amazement. “I still don’t understand about the files and the video—why do you monitor everyone who lives here?”
Risa had the grace to blush. “It just seemed like the natural thing to do—strange people, strange environment. I was at a major disadvantage. When I lost my ability to read people, to hear their thoughts, I became isolated, like I was in a vacuum. Knowing what was going on around me made me feel safer. I really didn’t mean to intrude, you know, I never watched anything…private. And I’d spent so much time living on government property, and having most things I needed at hand or taken care of, that it’s been difficult adjusting. And I had some experience with electronics, so…”
“So wiring into all of our apartments allowed you to keep track of us so, for instance, you knew I was heading out to the store when you called me to pick up groceries for you,” Kristy deduced, frowning slightly.
Risa nodded, feeling distinctly ashamed.
“Yes, I’m sorry for that, too. I’m just not equipped for—” she looked around, waving her arms and letting her frustration show “—this. Everything. The world.”
It felt so good to finally talk to someone. Risa had never really had a female friend before. Or a male friend, for that matter. After her parents died, she’d confided her secrets and fears only to Buddy. So far, Kristy was taking what Risa told her in relative stride.
“I could help, you know.”
“You have helped, getting my groceries, listening. But you don’t have to do that anymore. I wouldn’t ask that of you.”
“What I mean is I can help you get back into normal life. You know, for instance…” Kristy assessed Risa closely, making her feel like squirming in her chair. “Are those black pants and shirts all you have to wear?”
Risa looked down at her clothes, the government-issued casuals she’d always worn.
“Yes. They’re all I need.”
“Oh, honey, with your figure you can carry the cat burglar look off nicely, but with your coloring and that amazing auburn hair and those blue eyes—you should be wearing something much more striking.”
Kristy’s mental makeover was setting Risa’s nerves on edge. She wasn’t sure she was ready for this, and Kristy had a definite gleam in her eye. Risa didn’t need her former powers to sense that her new friend was getting very excited about influencing Risa’s life.
“And you have no good furniture, nothing on your walls. The place is stark. No personality. We have to get more of your style in here—what do you like?”
“What do you mean?” Risa could only stare.
“You know, what are your favorite colors, for a start?”
Risa paused for a long moment. She’d never really been asked that before. She thought about Buddy, the rich chocolate-brown of his fur, and remembered the scarlet sweater her mother had been wearing the day she’d brought Buddy home. Her mother had always worn bright colors—why hadn’t Risa remembered that until now?
“I like brown. And red.”
Kristy pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Well, I’ve always been more of a pink and yellow girl myself, but we can work with that—earthy tones, I guess. Like clays and fire. Yes, that does seem right for you.” She looked at the clock, “Hey, I’ll tell you what. I have the day off, why don’t we go catch some lunch and hit the stores? It’ll be fun.”
“Hit the stores?” Risa wasn’t quite keeping up, still wondering how all of this had happened.
“Yeppers. C’mon, ex-spy lady. We’re going shopping.”
2
DANIEL WATCHED Risa from a discreet distance, following the actions of the two women closely. Even though he’d spent thousands of hours doing surveillance, watching Risa felt different. More intimate. Maybe because each new outfit she tried on distracted him from his purpose, among other things. It wasn’t as if she were trying on anything particularly sexy, no low-cut dresses or skintight bodysuits—like the ones he’d seen her wearing on missions—clinging to every curve. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, and his interest wasn’t completely professional.
He swallowed deeply, trying to ignore the way his pulse picked up when she stepped out of the dressing room, looking to her friend for reassurance that the low-rise jeans and raspberry T-shirt fit.
Oh, man, did they ever fit. The woman had an ass like two perfect scoops of ice cream.
The shirt exposed a delicious sliver of her flat, toned belly, and the stylishly faded denim hugged the gentle sway of her backside in a way that had him imagining cupping his hand over the pocket.
Her friend nodded enthusiastically, obviously having good taste. Risa received the approval awkwardly, stuffing her hands in the pockets of the jeans, looking furtively from side to side as if worried about being seen. Was she self-conscious or was she worried?
Daniel turned his attention to her shopping partner. His quick background check identified Risa’s friend as Kristy Louise Kelly, twenty-five, a Boston native, MIT grad and an oceanographic intern at Woods Hole. He’d seen them sitting at Risa’s utilitarian kitchen table that morning, talking over a breakfast that neither one of them touched—but talking about what?
He hadn’t had an opportunity to bug the apartment—Risa was always there. This was the first time he’d seen her leave, and opted for following rather than a search. He’d assumed if she were venturing out, it must have been important—he’d never have guessed clothes shopping.
However, it appeared she was doing some surveillance of her own, and if he could get over there, he might be able to link into her system. He could find out what she was up to, who she was watching and why. Jack was right—something was off.
Was she finally adjusting on her own, a late bloomer? Why now, all of a sudden, after months of isolation? Could this new “friend” be a problem, someone else who knew about Risa’s secrets, or who wanted to know? Daniel intended to find out.
He’d arrived on the Cape a week ago. The small town of Falmouth was as charming as ever. Daniel booked a room at a small motel a few minutes down the street from Risa’s apartment complex, even though the home where he’d grown up was only about an hour up the coast. He needed to be closer to watch her movements, to assess the situation.
Though Jack had mentioned his family, there was no need to stir up those old ghosts. He was here to do a job; he’d do it, and move on, hopefully with no one being the wiser. If Kristy Kelly was a real friend, maybe Risa wouldn’t need him to interfere in her life, so he could report back to Jack and be assigned something more critical than watching Risa shop.
“Daniel? Oh my God…it is you. What are you doing here?”
Daniel turned toward the disbelieving female voice that drew his attention away from Risa and Kristy. Instincts developed after years in the field compelled him to relax, to act naturally so as not to draw attention, even though he simultaneously felt the urge to duck behind the rack of women’s lingerie that he’d been standing beside.
When he turned, he looked into eyes as gray as his, set in a female face that also resembled his own. He took in her softer features, his eyes widening as he sighted his younger sister’s extremely pregnant belly.
“Anna.” He breathed out the name softly, hardly believing she was standing right in front of him. The last time he’d seen her was in New York City just two years ago, where she’d been vacationing and they’d met for dinner. He’d given her a secure e-mail address where she could contact him. He just couldn’t break all contact with his youngest sister.
He’d attended her wedding shortly after, staying in the background, and leaving a gift before anyone else knew he was there. His appearance would have caused too much of a scuffle, and it was her day. He hadn’t wanted to ruin it, though he’d caught her for one moment before he left. She’d been such a tomboy, keeping up with her brothers effortlessly all those years—and now she was a grown woman. He didn’t know she was expecting, though. The discovery threw him. She was his baby sister, and she was having a baby of her own.
“Seven months and counting,” she said as if she’d read his mind, her voice as natural as if she met him in the store every day, as if it weren’t unusual at all. “I guess that’s obvious, though, isn’t it? You’re going to be an uncle, Daniel.”
An uncle. The words rang in his ears like she was speaking to him in a foreign language. He wasn’t sure what to say—he’d been a stranger, living a life so apart from them for so long, he wasn’t sure he had a right to the title of uncle, or brother or son, for that matter. Not anymore. He noticed the tension that creased her brow as she flipped through a few flimsy robes, not really seeing them. The surprise of finding him here, and the many questions about why he was here, must be finally hitting its mark.
“I wish you’d let me know. I’ve been out of the country, but I try to check my e-mail,” he said.
“It’s not the kind of thing you tell someone by e-mail—I would like you to have been here, though.”
“I was out of the country for the last year—I left shortly after the last time we spoke.”
He ignored the disapproval evident in her expression. She didn’t agree with what he did for a living; Anna was a peace-loving creature who shared her family’s liberal political views. Those views wouldn’t allow them to understand many of the things Daniel did for a living.
“So what are you doing here, Daniel? Have you finally decided to come home and make peace with your demons?”
Daniel felt somehow exposed by his sister’s simple inquiry. He also had no idea what was happening with Risa and her friend. He was losing track, was off balance—never a good situation for a field agent.
“I can see I’ve caught you off guard.”
He started to say something—anything—when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Two security guards were moving past them, a sense of purpose in their walk. The hairs on the back of Daniel’s neck stood up as his instincts kicked into gear. The two men made a beeline for the women’s dressing rooms, where Risa and Kristy had been trying on clothes.
“Daniel? What is it?”
“A moment, Anna…”
His focus returned with hawklike clarity as he watched the officers approach the very dressing room where Risa was. They spoke briefly to Kristy, who’d been lounging in a chair by the entryway, blowing bubbles with her gum—she didn’t match the image of a oceanographic scientist at all. Though Daniel couldn’t hear the conversation, he could see something was wrong. Kristy looked visibly annoyed.
“Daniel, please—”
“Anna, play along with me for the time being, okay?”
“Daniel, I don’t know—”
He didn’t give her time to complete her objection, grabbing her hand and pulling her along with him as he made his way to the dressing room just in time to see one of the officers gingerly removing Risa from inside by the arm. Her expression was frozen into a mix of surprise, fear and repulsion. He knew he had to get her out of there. The last thing they needed was Risa Remington being taken to the police station.
Risa had been given a fake background documents recording fictional previous addresses, jobs, education and the like. The government had sent her on her way with a credit rating, a bank account and a few credit cards to get her going. She had a Massachusetts driver’s license and a car that she didn’t appear to use.
If the police checked her out, nothing would seem unusual, but Daniel doubted that she would be able to get through a police interview without drawing more attention to herself than she should. Depending on what she was involved in, if anything, drawing police attention could be dangerous. To her, to him, to anyone involved.
“Help? With what?” Anna huffed slightly as she matched his quick pace and he slowed, but only slightly.
“I’ll explain everything later.”
Anna grumbled something unintelligible but fell into step beside him. She would have made a solid agent, if she’d been inclined. She was the sibling he was the closest to; Daniel was one of five, two brothers, two sisters. Anna had always been the earth-mother type; even though she was the youngest, she’d wanted to take care of everyone. He slanted a look at her again, the roses blooming in her cheeks indicating that impending motherhood agreed with her.
The guard was gripping a resistant Risa by the forearm while the other argued with Kristy, who appeared slightly panicked while she tried to reason with the guy. Daniel and Anna cut into the fray.
“Excuse me, is there a problem here?”
All four people spun as he became the center of attention, and he saw the surprise reflected in Risa’s face as her eyes met his—as well as apprehension, and suspicion.
“What are you doing here?” Her tone was far from welcoming, and he ignored the daggers she shot in his direction.
“Officers, is there a problem?”
“Yeah. Who are you?”
He slipped his arm around Anna and sighed, smiling at Risa indulgently. He hoped she would see that he was here to help her and not spit in his face, like it looked as if she were ready to do.
“My name is Daniel MacAlister. This is my sister Anna. Our family lives in Harwich. And this—” he stared at Risa with all the appearance of affection that he could muster “—is my fiancée, Risa Remington. Now, if you would you take your hands off of her, please, and tell me what’s going on?”
“FIANCÉE?” Risa looked on, just as shocked as anyone. Anna and Kristy spoke in unison, shock evident in their voices, as Agent MacAlister’s eyes held hers. Risa’s voice clogged in her throat as she tried to protest, but all that came out was a strangled sound that didn’t even resemble words. MacAlister was putting on quite a show—he looked positively doting. But she read the warning behind his false affection clearly: go along, don’t make a fuss.
She was in a jam, no doubt. But to pretend she was his fiancée? How had he managed to pop up at just this exact moment? How long had he been watching her, and who had sent him? Why was he here? She had more questions, but she knew she wouldn’t get any answers to them in a jail cell. Having Secret Agent Daniel MacAlister pop up in your life was not a good thing, in Risa’s experience.
“Fiancée, huh?” The guard turned to stare at MacAlister. “She doesn’t sound all that pleased to see you.”
“She’s just annoyed, and I can’t say I blame her.”
Risa had been pissed to discover the camera in the dressing room—she didn’t like being watched—and was even angrier now that she saw who sat on the other end of the lens. She was more than capable of voicing her objections about such treatment, but no one was listening to her.
No one would have dared to ignore her if she still had her powers. She knew ordinary women were dismissed and discriminated against in society all the time, but she hadn’t been an ordinary woman. People had always listened to what she had to say. Some had feared her, but at the very least, she’d commanded respect.
She wasn’t commanding anything at the moment. The frustration—the overwhelming feeling of being horribly, helplessly normal—assaulted her as the three men discussed her situation as if she weren’t even there.
“Well, your fiancée crawled up through the ceiling panel and disconnected the surveillance cameras. We had no choice but to suspect she and her friend were trying to make off with stolen purchases.”
“My fiancée has no need to steal. I can provide her with whatever she needs.”
Risa nearly had a stroke on the spot, so furious she couldn’t speak.
“Why else would she shut the cameras off? Either way, she was caught tampering with store property, and—”
“Excuse me.” Risa’s voice was an acid drip into the conversation, and everyone became quiet. MacAlister’s eyes shuttered and she could see the tension that drew his features tight—he didn’t like it that she’d interfered. Well, too bad.
“You—” she glared at the man holding her arm “—have no right to be watching women while they are changing their clothes. You’re lucky I didn’t take that camera and cram it up—”
Daniel interrupted, laughing loudly enough to interrupt the end of her sentence. “Sweetheart, no need to sink to their level.”
She turned her glare on him, disliking intensely how he insinuated himself between her and the guard who held her arm, breaking the connection to replace it with his own as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She almost pulled away, but the pressure of his fingers warned her not to. The store’s manager had joined them, coming down the aisle at a near run, breathless when he arrived.
Daniel spoke loudly enough to make sure the manager heard him clearly amid the din, inserting just the right amount of male outrage into his tone.
“She’s absolutely right. Aren’t there laws about that kind of thing? I think the local papers would be interested in what’s happened here, and I can’t imagine the damage that would be done when the story comes out. Take her down to your offices, and I’ll contact the media about this matter right away.”
Anna, the woman whom MacAlister had identified as his sister, popped in and said, “Yes, absolutely. I shop here all the time, and I don’t want anyone watching me dress in dressing rooms. It’s despicable!”
Risa had no idea why MacAlister was here, why his sister was defending her or why no one seemed to think she could fight her own battles, but she didn’t need super powers to know he wanted her to stay quiet. The manager was turning increasingly pale as Risa felt her own face redden.
“Now, sir, Mr….?”
“MacAlister. Daniel MacAlister.”
“Mr. MacAlister, I can assure you we always have a female employee review those tapes, and the only reason security was called was because your fiancée was last recorded disconnecting the cameras.”
“She’s shy.”
“Yes, well, um, of course, but we are within our legal rights to monitor for shoplifting.”
Daniel’s voice turned cool. “You won’t have to worry about shoplifting after we tell every woman on the Cape that you watch them change their clothes—and tape it.”
The man stuttered, obviously rethinking his decision, and blinked quickly, trying to backpedal. “Now, I don’t think we need to let this little incident get out of hand. I’m sure your fiancée didn’t mean any harm, and we appreciate your business. Would you like me to take your purchases to the counter?”
Daniel looked at Risa, their eyes meeting in a clash of blue and gray. She was easily six inches shorter than his solid five-ten. Standing so close, he could detect the clean scent of soap and shampoo, and found himself staring. She wore no makeup; she didn’t need it. She was flawless, her burnished locks warming porcelain skin, decorated by a playful spray of freckles over her nose. He’d never noticed those before. Why was he noticing now?
And why was he so acutely aware of how close they were standing, and of how curvy she was? His voice was hoarse when he spoke, and he cleared his throat, telling himself his behavior would be exactly what would be expected from a lover. He was just acting convincingly for the benefit of their onlookers.
“I don’t know. What do you think, sweetheart? You’ve been through a terrible embarrassment here. First the indignity of the cameras, and then being manhandled—”
“Twenty-five percent off everything you’re buying,” the manager interjected quickly, looking at them with dire hope the entire matter could be averted. Other customers had started paying attention.
Daniel could see that Risa’s temper hadn’t cooled down, but the sooner he could get her out of here, the better. Kristy, thankfully, spoke up.
“Make it forty and we’re outta here.”
“Forty it is.”
“Dammit, I don’t care about—” Risa was spitting mad, and wasn’t about to be bought off, especially with clothes. But before she could finish her sentence, Daniel loomed in close and kissed her.
She hadn’t seen it coming—she wouldn’t have seen it coming in a million years, not in her wildest imagination. She hadn’t been kissed since her parents died, and never by a man. Certainly never like this.
Shock and curiosity mingled as MacAlister’s mouth touched hers, stopping her words and confusing her thoughts. It was a strange feeling, and it captured her total attention as she forgot where they were and what was going on around them. Nothing else mattered except for the feeling of warmth she experienced, the soft press of his lips to hers. She shuffled closer, seeking more until someone cleared their throat.
Risa was in a daze when MacAlister drew back, looking just as composed as he always did. He hadn’t been affected at all. The corner of the very perfect lips that had just met hers quirked up, and something heated inside her. She felt like hitting him—hard—but she also felt like kissing him again. She couldn’t take her eyes off of his mouth.
When she realized that he no longer held her, and that both of her hands had somehow found their way to his shoulders and lingered there, she stepped back, turning away. Her pin-straight hair fell forward around her face, hiding her from the onlookers as MacAlister settled the situation with the manager. Risa wanted to hide, to process what had happened and to get away from the crowd. The urge to run, to get back to her apartment where she was safe, assailed her.
What were all these people thinking? She dared to look up, finding the manager looking relieved as MacAlister spoke to him quietly. Anna, MacAlister’s sister, was studying Risa curiously, sending Risa back into hiding behind her hair. Kristy was gathering up the clothes she’d tried on, triumphant in wrangling a discount. Risa looked down, her fingers touching the small white tag hanging from the T-shirt she had on.
Kristy touched her hand and Risa drew back reflexively, as she always did. Except with MacAlister. Her fingers moved to her lips as she remembered the kiss—it was a touch, an intimate one, and she hadn’t drawn back. She’d stepped closer. There hadn’t been any painful blankness or sense of disconnection. In fact, MacAlister’s kiss was the first time she’d felt connected to something, to someone, since she’d awakened from her coma. Realizing it made her want to run—and made her want to have more.
She was staring at him, and he pursed his warm lips thoughtfully, staring right back as if he had every right to look at her so possessively.
“C’mon, you two. Enough of the lovey-dovey stuff.” Kristy broke the visual lock between them, handing Risa some purchases to carry as she leaned in close, whispering, “And you have some explaining to do—fiancé, huh?”
MacAlister must have overheard, and when Risa opened her mouth to correct Kristy, she closed it again, thinking better of it. She didn’t know why MacAlister was here.
She smiled at Kristy. “It was a surprise. It’s not what you think.”
“Yeah, there seems to be a lot of that with you.” She winked. “What a hottie. I wouldn’t mind having a surprise like that. Maybe two.”
Risa was thankful that her new friend appeared to be teasing, and Risa dutifully followed her to the counter, where they could pay and get out.
Risa wondered what the agency had deemed so important they’d send one of their top field operatives. Daniel MacAlister was no lightweight—she’d worked with him before and she’d rarely met anyone so focused on his work, so determined to get the job done. He was intelligent, dedicated and lethal. Apparently, this time, his mission involved her.
If he’d come to kill her, she’d be dead already. A man like that wouldn’t bother wasting his time dallying in department stores; he could have picked her off cleanly, no matter where she was. She also knew, while MacAlister had killed in the line of duty, he wasn’t an assassin. So it had to be something else.
Hope sparked suddenly as her mind worked over the scenarios—maybe the agency had changed their position on her employment and had a use for her even if she didn’t have her superpowers. Could he have been sent to retrieve her for service?
“God, he’s incredible! Look at that butt….” Kristy sighed as she shamelessly ogled Daniel, who walked just ahead of them. Risa wondered if he’d heard; if so, he gave no indication. He was handsome, she thought rather experimentally; she wasn’t used to thinking about men in those terms. The only men she’d been around were Dr. Laslow and the operatives she’d worked with—or the terrorists and other subjects she’d had to examine. Needless to say, she’d never noticed any of their backsides. She tried not to notice MacAlister’s, but Kristy was right—it was nicely shaped. Toned, tapered, muscular. She felt her pulse pick up a little, and looked away, focusing on Anna, who walked at his side.
Risa was dying to get out of the store and get some answers. The security guards and manager were gone, crisis averted. As the clerk rang up her purchases while Kristy watched to make sure she received her forty percent discount, Risa moved closer to where MacAlister stood, silent and watchful.
“I’m not your fiancée.”
He shifted cool eyes to meet hers, and arched an eyebrow, shaking his head ever so slightly as if to say not now. How could she read him so clearly, without so much as a word spoken between them? The connection she had with him drew her, in spite of her worries about his presence.
“I don’t believe that’s your sister. Is she another agent—”
“I most certainly am not,” Anna interrupted. “I am his sister, one of two. Apparently, Daniel hasn’t told you much about the family he’s trying to convince you to join.”
Anna had rejoined them after breaking away to pay for her own purchases, and MacAlister’s very nice lips thinned as he realized his sister had overheard Risa.
Anna turned to Daniel. “Is this why you’ve come back to the Cape, Daniel? To tell us you’re getting married?”
MacAlister—Daniel—looked like a cat about to crawl right out of his skin. Risa crossed her arms and gave him the same cool look he’d been sending her. It was his story that they were engaged, let him deal with the fallout.
“Not exactly. That was a small lie, I have to confess.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Anna sounded dismally disappointed.
“Risa and I were in a…relationship. She quit and moved away, and we never had the chance to really share our feelings. Work was always in the way. I came here to remedy that.”
Risa turned, thinking she heard the sales clerk sigh—or was it Kristy? Still, she said nothing, holding his gaze in a dare. The next thing she knew, Anna was at her side, sliding her arm through Risa’s and hugging her close. Risa stiffened at the contact, ready to bolt, but Anna’s hold was firm.
The expectant mother shined at Risa, then at her brother. The reality sank in for Risa—they really were brother and sister. Anna was not an undercover operative working with Daniel, or some woman he’d randomly picked up in the store for cover. Everything took on a surreal blur that Risa couldn’t process.
Anna’s voice was joyful as she said, “Well, I don’t care what the reason is. The important thing is that you’re back, and if Risa is the reason for that, then we’ll all welcome her with open arms. She’s part of the family already, as far as I’m concerned.”
For the first time since this entire fiasco began, Risa saw uncertainty flicker in Agent MacAlister’s placid gray eyes. Smiling brightly in his direction, she capitalized on the weakness she’d found and hugged Anna’s arm closer.
“Well, Daniel,” she said his name deliberately, getting used to the less formal address, “I’m very interested in anything you came here to tell me.”
3
“CAN I ASK YOU something?”
Kristy’s voice interrupted Risa’s thoughts, scattered as they were. All she wanted to do was get back to her apartment and find out what the hell Daniel MacAlister was up to. He claimed that Risa was the reason he was staying in Falmouth instead of with his family in Harwich, but that was just a cover. Risa knew he had to be on assignment, and she needed details. She responded to Kristy absently, hoping there wasn’t going to be more talk about how attractive Daniel was.
“Sure, what?”
“Do you watch everyone in the building?”
“I’ll disconnect the monitors. I told you why I did it. I know it was wrong, but—”
“No, I don’t mean it that way. I just wondered. How did you do it? It’s sort of creepy, you know, in general. Someone can be watching you at any time, even in your own home, and you have no idea.”
She shuddered, and Risa felt terrible—guilt was an emotion that had been largely regarded as useless in her life. She couldn’t do her work if she was going to feel guilty about prying into people’s thoughts, etc. But it was different this time—most of the people she’d scanned before were terrorists, enemies, but Kristy was neither.
“I was good with technology when I worked for the government.”
She thought back to all the hours, days and weeks when she’d been glued to computer networks, sifting through a constant barrage of information, trying to catch any stray byte that would be meaningful to the analysts at the Pentagon. It was a more intense connection, more difficult to maintain, than reading people, and once she’d gotten inside of the stream of information, it was often difficult getting back out. She’d shorted out like an overloaded circuit several times before they figured out how much she could take. Even then, Dr. Laslow had pressed her limits, always reminding her how important her work was. After her parents’ deaths, her work became her purpose, the thing she held on to that was constant in her life. If she ever felt lonely, she’d learned to push it aside.
It was an added benefit that all the residual knowledge, all of her understanding of how computers and networks worked, had stayed with her. She knew computers as well as she knew her own heartbeat. This wasn’t something she could share with Kristy, obviously. For her friend’s safety, the less she knew, the better.
However, Risa had never really had any conflict about her work or about spying on the people in her apartment building. She’d been taught to do what was necessary, and that’s what she’d done. She herself was exposed and studied in every aspect of her life, by Laslow and the government; it was the norm for her. But Kristy reminded her that most people expected privacy.
“It’s not difficult to get basic surveillance equipment if you know where to look, and since the building already had a decent security system, I just worked with that and added some enhancements. Mostly at night, or when people were out at work, gone shopping, stuff like that.”
“Even Ben Richter, on the third floor?”
Risa turned her head, detecting a subtle change in Kristy’s tone—why was she asking these questions?
“Yeah, even him. Why?”
“I’ve been crazy about him for months, but he doesn’t even know I’m alive. He works at the same lab I do. He’s here for a year from Germany as part of Ridge 2000—the program studying the midocean ridges. I thought he was just shy, but I can’t seem to strike up a conversation, or anything,” she confessed hurriedly.
“Maybe he’s not into women.”
Kristy smiled, though Risa didn’t understand what was so funny. It was a logical deduction that if a man wasn’t interested in an attractive woman like Kristy, then one of the reasons could be that he was gay. Or married. Or both.
“Nah, thanks for the vote of confidence, but I don’t think I’m that irresistible. And I’ve seen him out with girls. Believe me, those looks combined with his accent—Oh, my God, just hearing him say ‘good morning’ turns my knees to water—any red-blooded woman within hearing distance is toast. I never would have thought a German accent would be sexy, but oh, my.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s not gay.”
“How do you figure?”
“I read the minds of many men who had homoerotic tendencies, most of them buried in the subconscious. They didn’t even realize it themselves. Most of them were married or actively hetero. A lot of people simply can’t deal with those repressed feelings.”
Kristy shrugged. “I guess it’s possible. But I just have a gut feeling it’s not true in Ben’s case.”
Risa turned, interested. “Gut feeling?”
“Yeah, you know, an instinct. You just kind of know when something is true, even when all signs would indicate otherwise. Intuition, I guess. You know what I mean?”
“No, not really.” Risa scowled and looked out the window—she had sensed some things about people around her, Kristy and Daniel, but she found the vague indications of moods or tones aggravating after spending a lifetime accessing specific information. “I thought you were more of a scientific type?”
“I am. I am a solid supporter of the scientific method. However, the really big advances, the breakthroughs in science, are usually based on intuition. Those inklings can lead a scientist in the right direction.”
“If you say so.”
Kristy shot her a disbelieving look. “Don’t you get ‘gut feelings’?”
Risa wasn’t sure how to answer. “Dr. Laslow said my instincts weren’t as developed as normal people’s since I could simply find out what I needed to know with a touch. My superior strength meant I didn’t have the strong fight-or-flight responses that normal people have. Now I can sense some things about people or situations, but it’s not something I trust—I don’t know how anyone could trust it.”
Kristy passed over that idea to hone in on what Risa had let slip. “You were superstrong, too? Is that part of the psychic thing?”
Risa cursed herself silently—she had to be more careful. “I’d been working for the government, and in physical training, pretty much since I was born. I guess I was just in better physical shape from childhood than most people,” she hedged.
Of course, that wouldn’t explain why she didn’t have that same strength now, and she hoped her shrewd friend didn’t ask. Risa spoke quickly, filling the gap before Kristy could inquire anymore deeply.
“I’ve always been curious about things like intuition and gut feelings, though. When you have a feeling about something, do you actually feel it? Is it sensation? Pain?”
“No, not actual pain. I don’t know if it’s the same for everyone, but I get a kind of sinking feeling in my stomach if I think something bad is happening. Or, for instance, every time I see Ben, I just know that if I could get his attention, we’d be great together.”
“And you trust these feelings? Without knowing for sure?”
“Completely.”
Risa thought about the warm, pleasant sensation she’d had when MacAlister had kissed her, but she wasn’t comfortable discussing it. She’d assumed everyone had that reaction to being kissed, but maybe it came down to chemistry? What did that mean for her and MacAlister? Was that the same kind of gut feeling Kristy had for Ben?
“But Ben’s never talked to you? You don’t know him?”
“Not much. Basic conversation, hello, goodbye, how are you? That’s it. But I can’t get my mind off of him. Anyway, I was thinking if I had an inside line, if I knew about his interests, or what he does outside of work, you know, like where he was going this Saturday, then maybe I might fare a little better.”
“You want me to spy on Ben so you can try to seduce him.” This made sense, and Risa smiled. So maybe Kristy’s gut feelings weren’t so sure—she wanted some thing more solid to go on.
Kristy smiled, pulling onto Falmouth’s main street, heading toward their apartment building. “I guess that’s the direct way of putting it. I don’t want to really spy on him, I just thought…”
“You don’t want me disconnecting my monitors?”
Risa was surprised—and a little worried. Should she do this for Kristy? She tried to quiet her mind and listen to her “gut feelings” but she couldn’t—her rational mind took over. What Kristy was asking was harmless, as long as they kept it under control.
“Sure, we can see what he’s up to this weekend,” Risa agreed. “But I don’t watch anything too private, so no looking when he’s walking around naked.”
“He walks around the apartment n-naked?” Kristy’s mouth dropped open, and Risa smiled, saying nothing. This could be fun.
DANIEL WATCHED the two women a few car lengths ahead of him as they raced back up Route 6 toward Falmouth. They appeared to be talking animatedly, and he wondered about what. His mission had been accelerated whether he liked it or not.
Having family on the Cape gave him a good cover—but he hadn’t counted on bumping into Anna. He gripped the wheel more tightly, barely noticing the landscape around him while he drove. The area hadn’t changed too much over the years—more stores, more people, but it was still relatively deserted. The swell of tourist season was a few months away.
Keeping an eye on Risa would have been easier with more people around—he could get lost in the crowd. Instead, his sister had found him lurking in the women’s lingerie department at the mall, where he’d stood out like a sore thumb. He’d come up with a believable explanation off the cuff, but now he had more problems. Anna knew he was here, and the rest of his family would know before long.
Although he’d managed to back out of the fiancé story, there remained several kinks in his cover. He needed to have a convincing reason he wasn’t staying in Harwich, at his family’s home. Pursuing a love interest in Falmouth was the first option that had popped into his mind.
Risa wasn’t buying any of it, of course. He had to spin the story differently to reassure her that she was safe, and not send her running—especially if she was up to something. Partial truths always worked better than outright lies; he could admit to checking up on her, making sure she was adjusting, but also claim to be visiting his family.
Would she believe that he’d been harboring a latent attraction to her all those years, and had come to try to make good on it now? Maybe capitalizing on pulling her out of the lab, saving her life? Possible, though he was less comfortable with that angle. Playing both ends of his story was tricky, but not impossible; he’d certainly been in tougher situations. This was merely inconvenient.
While he’d had his share of affairs, he couldn’t afford to think about Risa that way, not until he knew what was going on. He never let himself get involved that way on the job unless it was unavoidable—and only if he could retain complete control of the situation. Something told him that would not be the case with Risa.
However, he couldn’t quite erase the lingering sensation of their kiss. He had no idea what had compelled him to kiss Risa. In spite of himself, he’d been carried away, just for a second, shocked at her softness, stunned at his own pulsing reaction to her. Remembering the moment had his heart rate spiking disconcertingly.
Risa wasn’t experienced, he knew that, but the way she’d leaned in had a sweetness he hadn’t anticipated. She’d responded with more curiosity than desire, but he’d found it just as inflaming. She was beautiful. Innocent—at least in the physical sense. How could a young woman have a normal sex life with Risa’s powers? Not to mention growing up in a government lab where she was constantly monitored.
As they pulled into the small parking lot in front of her apartment building, he slowed down, lengthening the distance between them, and instead of following, he took a sharp right and hit the gas. He had to think, to process what had happened. Now wasn’t the time to confront her. She’d want answers, explanations, and he had to think, to get the upper hand. Whatever happened between them would be on his terms, not hers.
“OKAY, FESS UP.”
Kristy cornered her as soon as they got through the apartment door, lugging all of the bags that they’d brought home from the store. God, how many clothes did Kristy think she needed? Risa was only one woman, and she’d done well wearing more or less the same outfits for twenty-six years. What was she going to do with all of this stuff?
Hoping to deflect the conversation she knew was looming, Risa bent and picked up a scrap of leopard-print silk that slipped from one of the bags.
“What’s this?”
“That, sweetie, is a thong. Fashion’s brilliant way of avoiding panty lines.”
Risa held it up, investigating the thin string of fabric that she logically realized would go…Her gaze swerved back to Kristy. “No way am I wearing this.”
“You’ll have to at least try it—amazingly comfortable. Men love them—very sexy—so stop stalling. I told you about my crush, so now you tell me about yours.”
“There’s not much to tell.”
She had no idea why Daniel MacAlister was here. Why had he intruded and gotten her out of trouble? Kissed her? And then disappeared? Kristy seemed to see Daniel’s appearance as romantic. She wouldn’t if she knew him, and what he was capable of.
“Um, guys don’t usually materialize out of nowhere, save the day, proclaim they have feelings for you, oh, yeah, and kiss the daylights out of you in front of anyone who’s watching. Share.”
Risa sighed, relenting. “I did work with him, and it was strictly professional. If he had feelings, I never knew, and I don’t want to.”
Kristy’s eyes widened with concern. “I’m picking up a weird vibe from you—is he stalking you?”
“No, no. Nothing like that.” Risa dismissed the idea with a frown. “I don’t know what he’s up to.”
“Risa, if he’s not a danger, a man like that is not to be cast aside lightly. Did you see those eyes? He was looking at you like he could have eaten you in one big bite.”
“He probably could,” she murmured to herself, not wanting to pursue this conversation anymore. To redirect Kristy, she flicked on the monitor and switched the feed to Ben’s room, relieved when she saw her upstairs neighbor’s image fill the screen. Kristy was immediately distracted.
“He’s soooo cute, I can’t stand it. Look at his furniture! I knew he’d have good taste. I could tell by the way he dressed, even though I usually see him with his lab coat on. Oh, my…and he’s flexible, too.”
Kristy and Risa observed Ben on the computer monitor, moving through his stretches before he started performing a set of powerful martial arts moves, battling an invisible assailant. Risa recognized the expertise in his abilities, the smoothness of his movements, the concentration on his face. Ben didn’t move like an amateur. Still, a lot of people studied martial arts. There were three schools in the local area.
“My guess is that he holds at least one black belt. I had a few lessons myself—and Ben looks pretty advanced.”
Kristy made a fanning motion in front of her face, even though it was a cool sixty-three degrees in the apartment. “God, that makes him even hotter. He’s like James Bond or something behind his geeky lab coat. Does he really walk around naked? Or were you just yanking me?”
Risa rolled her eyes.
“C’mon, tell me.”
“I only saw him do it once. I don’t watch him often because he…”
“Wasn’t going to grocery shop for you?”
Risa nodded, her cheeks staining.
“What else can you tell me about him?”
“Like what?”
“C’mon—if you saw him naked, even once, you’ve seen the goods, right? Impressive? Average? Museum-worthy or garage sale?”
Risa crunched her eyebrows again, unsure exactly what Kristy was hinting at.
Kristy sighed exaggeratedly. “How big is he? You know, down there?”
Risa’s eyes went wide with realization, and she suddenly couldn’t resist teasing. She marveled at it for a moment—she hadn’t felt this sensation in, well, as long as she could recall. She smiled, shrugging.
“It’s hard to tell—everything looks small on the screen.”
Kristy moaned in frustration, and then laughed, continuing to watch Ben work out. Ben Richter was attractive, she supposed. Risa knew about sex—in the technical sense. With her powers, Dr. Laslow wouldn’t permit anyone to come that close to her, and her life wasn’t one that encouraged relationships to blossom. She thought about sex from time to time out of natural curiosity, but it was such a nonissue in her life that she’d gotten used to putting it out of her mind.
However, if she were completely truthful, she’d admit that she had noticed Daniel MacAlister more than once—he was difficult to ignore. There was something about him that had always grabbed her attention. He stood apart, though she’d never really thought about why.
She’d been on a team with him for the first time when she was only eighteen. She remembered feeling awkward in his presence, something that hadn’t ever happened before. There’d been one point on the mission when he’d stripped down to change into a diving suit, and she’d had to curl her fingers into her palms to stop from running a hand down his chest. She hadn’t understood the urge—it had shocked her on some basic level. She knew the power of her touch meant it was forbidden for her to lay hands on anyone she worked with. It was standard operating procedure, and she’d never been tempted to break the rules. Until she’d seen him.
When they’d returned, Dr. Laslow hadn’t been happy with her biofeedback, which had clued him in to how distracted she’d been, and why. A long lecture on her duties, on maintaining focus, had resulted. Risa had worked hard not to let it happen again. Natural curiosity or not, her work was too important to let silly things like sex interfere.
That wasn’t the case now. However, as fascinated as she was by her response to MacAlister’s kiss, she doubted it was going to happen again.
“Oh, here we go—a phone call. Maybe this will tell me something interesting.”
Risa’s attention swung back to the screen. Ben picked up the phone and Kristy pumped up the volume until his voice could be heard clearly.
“Oh, he’s going to meet friends out—male friends by the sound of it. No trace of a girlfriend waiting in the wings so far.”
“Do you know the place he mentioned?”
“I do. And he’s going to be there at seven, so I think I might just be there, too.”
“Sounds like you have a good plan.”
Kristy bit her lip. “But it would look bad for me to just be standing around in a bar, like I do that all the time, you know, hanging out and picking up guys.”
“That’s bad?”
Kristy rolled her eyes. “Yes, unless you only want a one-night pickup, and I’m hoping for a little more than that with Ben. Maybe a lot more.”
“How can you know?”
“I told you—I have a feeling.”
“Right. The feeling.”
It was all very complicated, and Risa suspected she was fortunate to have skipped this part of human relationships.
“You have to come with me. You can wear that new dress we bought.”
Risa stepped back, hands up. “No. No way.”
“You don’t do alcohol?”
Risa had never touched a drop—she’d been on a strictly regimented diet at the compound. “I’ve never had it.”
“You’ve never been to a bar? Never had a beer, even as a teenager? What else haven’t you done?”
Risa didn’t answer, but felt heat move up into her face. She hated that—it never used to happen, unless she was angry or being chastised—but now it seemed like every five minutes her face was turning red.
Kristy somehow understood and she clapped a hand over her astonished expression. Risa was amazed at the level of communication humans could share without saying anything.
“Oh, honey…really?”
Risa answered coolly, hoping to put an end to the conversation. “I appreciate you wanting me to come with you, but I’d really rather stay here. You must have other friends you could go with….”
Kristy shook her head, stepping forward and taking both of Risa’s hands in hers. “I don’t—not here. All of the women at work are older or married and with families. My friends are all back in Boston. I know it’s a lot for you, but it would be fun for you to get out, to live a little. Sounds like you missed a lot while you were working for the government. Don’t you deserve to have some fun? To have a life?”
The words burned through Risa’s objections and stoked the flames of deeply hidden desires and curiosities so long denied. While she knew that Kristy was being convincing partly for self-serving reasons, Risa wondered if she wasn’t right. She had missed out on a lot. If she had to be stuck in this “normal” life, maybe it was time she started grabbing it by the horns and catching up.
She lifted the bags and looked at Kristy, relenting. “You think I should wear the red dress?”
4
DANIEL SAT ON THE EDGE of his bed, flipping through Laslow’s reports on Risa—he was supposed to destroy them as per Jack’s orders, but he’d held on to the files, reading them again to remind himself that what he was seeing was real. His eyes moved over one paragraph:
1992. Mission objective: detect terrorist communications on emerging Internet chatrooms—sift through data to select most likely targets and associations. The resource collapsed after six hours of sifting, emergency care implemented. More effective use of our resource in this capacity will require research to prevent overloads. The resource seems to experience great deal of pain when not protected from overload, though all of its physical indicators show no permanent damage. Increased healing capacity? More experiments need to be done to define its upper and lower ranges of sensitivity.
He’d known that Risa had mind-reading abilities, but no one outside of her handlers really knew the total extent of her powers. Most knowledgeable of all was the author of the reports, Dr. Peter Laslow, who’d been studying and training her since birth. Now Daniel knew everything, too, and he was having difficulty reconciling it all. Little he read in the reports seemed reflective of the woman he’d met in the store today.
He winced every time Laslow referred to Risa as “the resource” or “it.” Daniel knew it was to protect her identity should the files get into the wrong hands, but still. She’d been just thirteen years old when that entry was written.
She’d been used for just about everything he could imagine—interrogations, most frequently. When she was barely more than a child she’d spent weeks on end meeting with some of the worst terrorist suspects on the planet, probing their minds for what information she could relay to her handlers.
The notes detailed a string of collapses occurring with increased frequency in the adolescent years. Some were more serious than others as they discovered and tested the limits of her powers. They’d eventually developed ways for her to filter what her mind grabbed on to, to protect herself—not out of compassion, but because they couldn’t risk losing her as an asset. After her accident, she’d suffered frequent blackouts and headaches; Daniel wondered if they were still happening.
He’d seen the ravages of terrorism. The images were scarred onto his mind. But Risa had actually been inside of the minds of people who committed, or intended to commit, some of the worst crimes in history. She’d learned their languages and had been a part of them when she explored their minds. What did that do to a person? Could she ever adjust to ordinary life?
Hell, he’d had a wonderful, loving childhood. Even in the course of his work, he hadn’t been subjected to half of what she had, but he didn’t think he could ever go back to ordinary life again. In fact, he knew he couldn’t. Once he’d seen the utter destruction one person could wreak upon another, and even more disturbing, what he himself was capable of, there was no way to work back from that.
The thought distracted him—his situation at the moment was difficult. There were eight messages on his room’s phone, all from his family. Three were from his mother. Anna hadn’t wasted any time getting the word out. They were voices from another lifetime—familiar and foreign all at once, connecting to something deep inside of him he’d thought was gone. But he had no intention of responding, at least not until he knew what was going on with Risa. Just being around his family could put them in danger if Risa were aligning herself with bad people. Daniel would rather risk his family’s ire than their safety.
Levering himself up, he grabbed his keys. He was back on task. Rereading the files reaffirmed his mission, reminding him why he was here. Risa could be a threat. She’d also been a victim, the way he saw it, but he had to push that aside and deal with the facts. If she was a problem, he’d have to take care of it.
It was still light outside, but it would be dark soon enough—the long days of summer weren’t here yet. The air had a nip in it, though his leather jacket was comfortable. He slid into the car, pulling into traffic and heading toward Risa’s apartment complex.
When he got there, he saw Risa getting into a car with Kristy. They were dressed for a night out, Kristy in snug black pants and a tight white top, and Risa in a flirty dress that showed way too much leg as she slipped into the passenger seat. The alarm buzzed in the back of his mind again—she didn’t come off as the antisocial woman he’d been sent to watch. He fell in far enough behind that he couldn’t be spotted, and followed.
“I DON’T SEE HIM.”
Kristy craned her neck, looking all around the Sand Bar, a small local tavern overlooking Cape Cod Bay. The tide was low, and the mud flats stretched out far ahead of them. Some people were walking and a couple of dogs were splashing in puddles of seawater. The picnic tables and outdoor seating were not available; it was early May, but still a little cool in the evenings.
Risa scanned the bar with her. A few patrons had gathered in small groups, talking and sharing plates of greasy-looking food. Risa’s beer sat on the table in front of her; she’d tried it, but she didn’t care for the bitter taste.
Some more people filed in, and another person set the jukebox to playing. It was fascinating to watch, to feel part of the world, though she knew Kristy was growing worried that Ben wasn’t coming. It was almost nine o’clock. Risa tried her hand at comforting Kristy.
“He’s probably just late. Maybe he had to pick someone up?”
“I suppose. Let’s not list punctuality as one of his virtues, then.” Kristy made a valiant effort to turn her attention to Risa and away from the door. “The beer isn’t working for you?”
“Not really.”
Just then, a waitress came up to them and put two colorful-looking drinks on the table.
“We didn’t order these,” Kristy objected.
The waitress nodded over to the corner of the bar with a wink. “Those guys sent them over—said you two should have something more colorful.”
Kristy looked again, and raised her glass to the guys at the table in a measured motion of thanks, before returning her gaze to the door.
“I wish Ben would get here. We’re going to start getting picked up left and right if we’re just sitting here alone.” She sipped her drink and made an appreciative sound in Risa’s direction. “Try this one, it’s a daiquiri—you’ll find it much better than beer, I think. Might as well enjoy them—mixed drinks are expensive.” She grinned, sipping again.
Risa took a tentative sip, and her eyes widened in pleased surprise. “This is good! We should go over and say thank you.” She sipped again.
Kristy shook her head and reached across to place her hand over Risa’s.
“Wow, you really are out of touch, huh? Listen, those guys are way older than us, and they’re only out here looking for one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“You don’t want to know. Smile nicely, but not in the way that invites them over—nod once, then cut eye contact. If they come over, let me handle it.”
Risa shrugged, doing as she was told, enjoying the drink. It was more like a dessert, almost. Better, perhaps, than her beloved chocolate pudding.
“Take it easy—that’s going to go to your head…oh! There he is—he’s here!”
Risa looked up from her drink to see Ben Richter walk into the bar; he was with two other men. They didn’t see her or Kristy, and walked in the other direction toward some empty seats at the bar.
“Crap, he’ll never see me from way over there….”
“You’ll have to arrange a meet,” Risa said conspiratorially, frowning when she saw her drink was almost gone. “But don’t be obvious. Finish your drink, and then go up to get another one. You can get one for me, too.”
She felt great. She couldn’t remember being this relaxed, and it was all to the credit of the frothy pink beverage. She wanted another one, but was willing to wait for Kristy to finish hers.
“Are you okay? You look a little flushed.”
Risa made a pooh-poohing gesture, waving away her friend’s concerns. “I’m fine. Believe me, I know my limist, uh, I mean, limits. They spent years testing them.”
Kristy’s eyebrows shot up as Risa scanned the bar, continuing. “I have a better idea. Let me go get the drinks. It will probably be smoother if I run interference—I’m not interested in him. If you ho, I mean, if you go, he may pick up on something.”
“You think?”
“Absolutely. Believe me, I’m a professional. I’ve done things like this a million times before.”
Kristy looked doubtful, but sat back in her chair.
“Okay. But ask the bartender for your drink to be virgin this time—you don’t need two of these. Trust me. Just get me a Diet Coke. I’m driving, so no more alcohol for me. In fact, order some wings while you’re there.”
Risa’s grin was irrepressible. “Virgin. Ha. And wings. Okay.”
Risa casually inserted herself in an open space at the bar where Ben sat. When the bartender took her order, she decided against Kristy’s advice and just handed the guy her almost empty glass.
“Two more of those. And some wings, please.”
“Hot buffalo, Mexican-lime or honey-garlic?”
“What? Wings. We want some wings, please.” She’d read in a book that service people were often treated rudely, and she made a point to keep her voice polite, but maybe some of that rudeness came from people having to repeat themselves, she figured. The bartender waited, pen in hand.
“I think he wants to know what kind,” Ben Richter interrupted, amused. Risa turned, smiling at him.
“Oh. I never ordered wings before. The Mexican-lines—lime—ones, please.”
Ben stared at her for a long moment. “Don’t I know you?”
“No. Not really. I mean, I live downstairs from you.”
Realization dawned on his face. “Yes! Of course. I didn’t recognize you…you look different.”
“It’s the dress.” She took a little sip of her drink as he looked up and down once, appreciatively.
“A very nice dress, indeed. Are you here alone?”
“Oh, no. My friend Kristy is out with me. She’s helping me get a life.”
Ben’s brow furrowed before he laughed and looked to where she’d indicated Kristy, smiling in recognition, sitting at the table.
“I work with her.”
“Really? You should come join us. Kristy’s great,” she added, feeling like the best new friend in the world. “I’m going back to our table, but come by and say hello.”
“Will do, beautiful.”
Risa smiled, and took a step, stopping to blink and catch her balance. Ben took her elbow.
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