The top was nice and loose--mostly hiding the fact that she'd removed her bra, Jane thought. But, of course the bottoms were too big. She found a safety pin in her bathroom, and with a little work managed to fix them so that they wouldn't fall down. That done, she moved determinedly through the house toward the master suite.
She'd let Abel help her with the cameras and listening devices if he wanted; then she'd ask him to take first watch while she took a shower. After that she'd send him to bed and she herself would watch their neighbors. She'd probably be watching them sleep, but such was a spy's life, she supposed.
Jane was all prepared for a stiff and angry Abel, so she was pleasantly surprised upon entering the room to find him sitting on the end of the bed, petting Mr. Tibbs and looking as if his temper had cooled. He even managed a smile and an apology.
"Sorry about what I said. Lydia was driving me crazy all night and then..." He shrugged.
Jane did the same. "That's all right."
He glanced down at the cat again. "I guess that must happen a lot, huh?"
"What?" Jane asked.
He shrugged again. "I suppose you have to get close to a lot of guys in your job."
Jane was silent as she debated what to say. Should she admit she wasn't really a spy, but a techno geek? No, she decided; she couldn't do that. He might lose confidence in her and no doubt in B.L.I.S.S. too--then he might be moved to try to rescue Edie on his own. She had to continue to let him believe that she was competent. She had to lie. Although it wasn't really a lie, she told herself. She was being a credible spy now. Though she'd never imagined it would be like this: all these lies, letting Dirk grope her.
She certainly had imagined what being a spy would be like. The excitement, the glamour. But then Gran had been paralyzed and Jane decided that maybe something safer was better.
"Not really," she said finally. "Dirk is about the worst I've encountered so far."
"Yeah?" He looked surprised.
"Yeah," Jane said.
"Tell me about some of your cases. Have you ever had one like this before?"
Jane felt panic swamp her. She knew he was looking for reassurance that she had experience with this sort of thing, that the kidnap victim was always brought back alive. But Jane hadn't been on any other cases.
"Oh, of course," he said suddenly. "B.L.I.S.S. security and all that. I suppose you can't tell me about any of your past work."
"Yes," Jane agreed with relief. Then she corrected, "I mean no, I can't tell you."
Abel nodded. "It must be exciting being a spy."
"Yes, it must be," she agreed. "I mean, yes. It is."
"I figured. The rush, the adrenaline."
"Yes," Jane said, thinking of the hair-raising stories her grandmother had told her.
"My life would be boring in comparison."
"Yes." She sighed. Both of their lives were terribly boring in comparison to the adventures most of her family faced. On the other hand, she and Abel had a longer life expectancy too. Jane had lost both parents and three cousins to the spy business. It was a dangerous profession.
"Well." Abel stood. "Are we going to put out those microphones and stuff?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes." She looked him over. He'd removed his suit jacket and now wore only the dark pants and white dress shirt. "You'll need to change. You need a dark shirt. And I need shoes."
"I'll go change." He left the room.
Jane frowned after him. He sounded rather depressed. Of course, he had a lot to be depressed about with his sister in the hands of the evil Ensecksis.
Chapter Thirteen
"Heads up!"
At that hissed warning in her earpiece, Jane flattened herself against the wall of the Ensecksi house. She glanced back through the darkness, trying to spot Abel, but he blended in too well with the shadowy shapes on the side of the hill. Jane hoped she was equally invisible. She'd been busy attaching the wall-contact microphone so that they could listen to conversations within the house. Abel had been keeping a lookout from the hill.
Jane and Abel had already positioned several listening devices as well as cameras in strategic positions. Two of the cameras were full-color, night-vision capable. The other two were standard issue. All had a waterproof casing and were wireless. They were also motion-sensing and would transmit their photos to a remote monitoring receiver Jane had yet to set up in the house.
The sound of voices drawing nearer made Jane glance nervously toward the driveway. Lydia and Dirk came into view. Lydia was walking at a fast, impatient clip, her brother stumbling along behind, chattering as he walked.
"She has a great butt. I can't wait to get her naked."
Jane made a face at these first words she was able to hear. It was Dirk, and his speech was still slurred.
"Yeah. I get it. You liked Ms. Goodinov," Lydia said with filial disgust. A disgust Jane shared. She hoped Abel wasn't hearing this. It was embarrassing.
"No, I don't especially like her," Dirk answered with painful honesty. "But she smells really good and has a hot body. Curvy and soft. She's not scrawny and sharp-looking like you and those other women who are always starving themselves."
The truth serum and knockout drug combo were definitely still working. Jane didn't think Dirk would have been quite so honest with his opinion of his sister's figure if it wasn't. A smart man never commented on a woman's body unless to compliment it.
"Shut up!" Lydia turned on him. "I have a great figure."
"Nope." Dirk stumbled to a stop and shook his head. "Jane's is better."
"Jane needs to lose twenty or thirty pounds," Lydia snapped.
Jane stood a little straighter where she was. She'd always wished she were thinner, but twenty or thirty pounds?
Bitch, she thought irritably.
Dirk was shaking his head. "Nope. She's perfect. Soft and cuddly. Like a pillow."
Okay, maybe twenty pounds, Jane thought unhappily. A pillow?
"Oh, I'm sure she'd like to hear that," Lydia suddenly laughed, her anger slipping away. "Like most men would want a pillow in bed."
"Most men would." Dirk nodded several times as he swayed. "Screwing a skinny woman is like screwing a board. The pelvic bones hit. Bang, bang, bang. It can hurt."
Oh, well, that was just too much truth, Jane decided. She leaned against the wall of the house, wishing the Ensecksis would move on, out of her way. She wanted to finish setting this microphone in place and go home.
"You're drunk." Lydia eyed her swaying brother as if he were a particularly unpleasant bug. "I haven't seen you drunk since you were eighteen. How much did you have to drink tonight?"
"Uh...a glass of wine," Dirk answered.
"Yeah, right." Lydia turned toward the house with obvious disbelief. "If this is your response to not getting laid for probably the first time in your life, you'd better stay away from Jane Goodinov. She doesn't seem like an easy lay to me."
"She's hot!"
"Maybe. But she also still lives with her grandmother. She's not your speed--as I said when you saved her from breaking her neck on those stairs."
"You said you liked her." Dirk stumbled up the drive after his sister. "You said you two would be friends."
"Yeah, well, she's smart and I like that. But that's just another reason that she's out of your league. Stick to your brainless twits."
"What about Abel? He still lives with his grandmother, too."
"Abel." Lydia paused again, and Jane found herself straining to hear what the woman would say. "Abel is different. He doesn't live with them. He's only visiting to settle them into Bea and Arthur's house."
"You like him." It looked to Jane as if Dirk was smirking.
"Yes, I do," Lydia admitted. Her teeth gleamed white in the darkness. "Abel is tasty. He definitely shows possibility. And I think he's interested." She sighed. "He'd better be. I've been out here in nowhere land too long. I need to get some action."
"So, invite him over and bang him. I'm gonna invite Jane."
&n
bsp; "Oh, Dad would love that." Lydia snorted and started to walk again.
"He doesn't have to know. Besides, he's already in the mountain. He won't come up for air until after he revs up the mike-sat, if then."
"Yeah," Lydia agreed. The pair walked in silence for a few steps before she decided, "We'll invite them to dinner. But I don't think you're going to get anywhere with Jane. And you're not going to drink."
They'd walked close enough to the house that they were out of Jane's sight. Jane heard a door open and close, then silence. She finished what she'd been doing before their arrival, then slipped cautiously back up the hill.
Abel joined her halfway and they walked home together, pausing only when they reached the wood-and-metal table and chairs arranged in the small clearing at the top of the hill. A little stone pathway led to the master bedroom some twenty feet away, but Jane and Abel first turned back to be sure they hadn't been spotted.
There were lights on inside the Ensecksi house now, and the occasional shifting shadow as its inhabitants moved around inside.
"Dirk's right. You do smell good."
Jane turned sharply in surprise at that comment by her ear and stumbled. Abel's arms slid around her, catching her close to keep her from tumbling back down the hill. Jane stayed where she was for a minute, enjoying the feel of his embrace. Abel wasn't aggressive or groping like Dirk; this felt warm and safe. Mostly. There was an underlying zing, too. She could feel jolting through her body at every point of contact.
"Really good."
Abel's voice was muffled by her hair, and Jane stiffened as she felt and heard him inhale. Not again. She didn't think she could handle too much more truth right now. It was probably better that women didn't know what men thought and were forced to make do with their polite lies. Wasn't it?
"Um...Abel." Jane pulled reluctantly back, but paused before completely breaking contact. It felt so nice to be in his arms.
"Yes?" He peered down at her.
Jane's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and Abel seemed clear-eyed as he met her gaze. She hesitated, then tipped her head to the side and back. "Do you really like my perfume?" she asked.
Abel dutifully bent to sniff. "Yes."
"You're sure?" she asked when he straightened. He hesitated, then leaned forward again, inhaling deeply. She heard him release a soft sigh; then he straightened and smiled at her.
"You smell like vanilla ice cream and apple pie. Good enough to eat."
Jane looked at him closely. His eyes were a tad dilated, but not wildly so like Dirk's had been. She nodded slowly, then asked, "Do you think I have tasty breasts?"
He nodded solemnly. "You have a nice behind, too."
Jane bit her lip, knowing this was unfair. She'd feel guilty for it later, she promised herself. "Do you think my breasts are too large or that I should lose twenty pounds?"
"No. I like your body."
Jane smiled. It was nice to know. But..."Is that all you like about me?"
"No. I like your nose too."
Jane blinked. "My nose?"
He nodded. "And your lips."
"I see."
"You have a funny face."
"Funny?" She almost choked on the word. She had a "funny" face? Well, she'd asked for this.
"Yes. When you're thinking or angry, you make funny faces. But mostly you're pretty. You have beautiful eyes. I can see the intelligence in them. I like that you're smart."
"Oh." She smiled at him. He liked that she was smart.
"I don't like it so much when you're bossy though."
"Oh." Her smile faded some.
"And I didn't like it when you handcuffed me. Well, I didn't mind being handcuffed to you all that much, but I would have liked it better if we would have had to shower together. Naked."
"Oh." Jane was at a loss for a minute, then cleared her throat and asked, "And you thought about this when?"
"In the motel room while I was taking my shower," he answered. "I thought it was too bad you had uncuffed us. That I'd like to rub soap all over your wet body and--"
"Er, yes. I think I get the idea," she interrupted, wondering if the night was getting hotter. Tomorrow was going to be a scorcher.
"I want to touch you everywhere."
"Oh." She swallowed, then muttered, "Well, that sounds better than just wanting to get your rocks off."
"That would be fun," Abel admitted. "But I'd want to make you beg first."
Jane flushed with embarrassment at his overhearing her. Then her eyes widened as she realized what he'd said. "Beg?"
He nodded. "Oh, yeah. I want to see you wanting me like I want you. I want to touch and lick every part of your body until you're screaming for me to fill you."
"You do?" Jane's breath came short. That sounded pretty good. Much better than what Dirk had offered.
"Yes. But I wouldn't do it."
"What?" Jane straightened in outrage. "Why not?"
"Because I like you and you're Edie's friend, and you're a good girl who lives with her grandmother in Vancouver. And I respect you and my sister too much to offer you a fling. I live in England, so that's all we could manage...unless I get that job in Vancouver." He paused with a frown. "But you're also a spy with this exciting job and life and meeting all these exciting people in these exciting places and I'm just a boring old accountant, although I'm only thirty-four, so I'm not that old, but an exciting woman like you would never be interested in a boring old number cruncher like me."
When he finally paused, Jane took a minute to sort through everything he'd said. All she could think was that here was the nicest and sweetest man who'd ever wanted to touch and lick her all over until she screamed. Jane knew part of this attraction was simply hormones, but another part was Edie's fault. Her friend had spoken much of her brother over the past six months, telling Jane tales of their childhood and how smart and good he was. Jane hadn't known of Edie's plan to get them together, but when Abel told her, Jane realized her friend had labored hard at preparing her to like him before he ever arrived. And it had worked.
He wasn't as good-looking as Dirk. Abel was handsome, but his face dimmed next to the sheer perfection of Dirk's. On the other hand, Abel beat Ensecksi's personality by a mile.
"Jane?"
"Hmm?" She glanced at Abel distractedly.
"I really want to kiss you. I know I shouldn't, but I think I'm going to and if you don't want it, you'd better tell me now because..." He'd been bending forward as he spoke. His words died as his lips met and closed over hers. This was no sloppy wet kiss. This was warm and firm and commanding. It sent a shiver through Jane as Abel gathered her closer, not groping and grabbing, but cradling and holding her as if she were precious. This man knew how to kiss, she thought fuzzily. Her mouth opened and he deepened the caress.
No slippery eels here. Jane tasted peppermint and wondered what Abel had eaten or drunk to cause that, then gave up thinking as sensation overwhelmed her. She was just releasing a sigh of pleasure and curling her toes in her sneakers when Abel suddenly broke away, pulled back, shook his head groggily, and began to sway.
"What?" he said uncertainly, then started to fall backward. Alarm filled Jane, but she had the presence of mind to quickly turn him so that he fell back into one of the nearby chairs.
"Abel?" Jane bent over him anxiously and touched his slack face. Then she removed the headphones from his ears. They'd each worn two-way radios so that he could keep a watch on the hill and inform her if Dirk and Lydia should return. As they had. She set his radio and headphones and her own on the table, then swung back to tap his face. "Abel?"
He was out cold. Jane turned to run for the master suite and a phone, ready to call 911, then stopped.
"Lipschitz's knockout lipstick again." The words slipped from her lips with horror as she recalled Abel suggesting she reapply her makeup and straighten her hair after he'd rescued her from Dirk. And she hadn't thought to wipe it off upon returning home. He'd got a full dose.
She tur
ned slowly to peer down at him. The lipstick worked pretty well. It hadn't been a long kiss. She would have liked a longer one. And more. But not much chance of that now; the man was dead to the world.
"Well," she breathed, "isn't this the perfect end to a perfect evening?"
Sighing, Jane sank down in the chair across from Abel. She sat there for several minutes just looking at him, then realized she was rubbing her arms to ward off the night chill. Had she thought it was warm moments ago? It must have been Abel's body heat. Shifting her chair next to his, hoping to share some of his warmth, she sat sideways in her wooden seat and took his hand in her own.
How long did this stuff last? she wondered after a while. She really had to pay more attention at the monthly meetings. If she'd been paying attention, she would know. Becoming aware that she was shivering, she glanced toward the house. There was no way she was going to be able to get Abel inside. He was far too big for that. Which meant he was stuck here until he woke up. And she couldn't just leave him unconscious and alone out here, so she was stuck as well.
Jane rubbed her arms again. She should go get a comforter to cover Abel. He might catch a chill. Yes, she'd get a comforter, then cuddle up under it with him and wait for him to wake. That sounded nice.
Jane got to her feet and grabbed up the two-way radios from the table where she'd set them. She'd return them to the house so she didn't forget later.
In the master suite Jane tossed the radios in the nearest black bag. She paused then, considering the spy paraphernalia. She really should set up the remote-viewing receiver. Her gaze went anxiously to the door. She didn't want to leave Abel out there alone and unconscious, but this would only take a few minutes. She hoped.
Moving quickly, she set up the receiver then returned all extra cables to their boxes and stuffed them in the closet. Next, she grabbed the software B.L.I.S.S. had sent, then her portable computer from her bag. She plugged the power cord to her portable into a socket to save the battery, then set the computer on the coffee table in front of the couch at the foot of the bed. Programming the software, she checked to be sure it was working. When four screens opened with four different pictures of the house next door, Jane sighed in relief.