Part 6 (1/2)

Darius didn't answer right away. I knew he was using me for his own ends when it came to Bonaventure. But then I was using him. I felt like J had thrown me to the wolves. I didn't have any backup. My instructions were sketchy at best. If I got out of this alive-and if I could help stop this potential terrorist attack-it would be by my own wits and cunning. So far Darius seemed to have better information. J's dossiers didn't include anything about Bonaventure's bodyguards. I was beginning to trust Darius more than my own boss. I really wanted to see how much he'd tell me.

Darius leaned forward, closer to me. and said very quietly, ”We've had Bonaventure under surveillance since he arrived in New York. He's setting up a major weapons sale with men we believe to be terrorists.”

”Tell me something I don't know,” I whispered back.

”The buy is something beyond the ordinary. We expect it to happen early next week. We think Bonaventure has already brought the weapons into this country. We think we know how. We need to know exactly where the weapons are and who is getting them. We need to take possession of whatever it is Bonaventure is selling, and we need to capture the men who want it.”

I felt disappointed. I sat up straight and looked at Darius. Maybe I was making a mistake in setting up this ”side deal” with a rival agent. I shook my head. ”So far, Darius, that is old information. J told me about the same thing. What have you to do with this that he doesn't? I know there's something else involved here. Come on, convince me I should help you. How can you help me?”

Darius sat back in his chair as well, staring down at his gla.s.s of Scotch. He picked it up and swirled the liquid around. It seemed a bit oily against the side of the gla.s.s. Finally he looked up at me. ”Okay, here's the bottom line. J is dealing purely in the intelligence end of this. He wants people taken alive. His agency wants to turn the terrorists into double agents, or simply empty them of useful information. My agency disagrees. They want to hunt these people down and kill them. You might say I'm in the cleanup end. Certain people are my special targets. Certain people my agency is convinced should not be left alive.”

”Who? Why'”

”Look, Daphne. There are things you are better off not knowing. It doesn't concern you.” He hesitated. ”Or you and me. Yes, it's totally screwed up that every intelli-gence agency does its own thing. I know that. And if you don't know it, you should. One benefit you and I can get out of coordinating our efforts is that we won't get each other killed. And right now you can help me big-time. You can be my ticket into Bonaventure's apartment.”

”I don't see how.”

”Don't worry your pretty head about that. I'll set everything up.”

A patronizing tone had crept into his voice. That is something that pushes my b.u.t.tons. My tone swung over into the red zone on the annoyance meter. ”You know, Darius, you're p.i.s.sing me off. This pretty head pretty head has a brain in it. And it's telling me you want to call the shots. That's not going to fly. Either you level with me and we act as partners, or I finish this gla.s.s of water and go catch a taxi.” has a brain in it. And it's telling me you want to call the shots. That's not going to fly. Either you level with me and we act as partners, or I finish this gla.s.s of water and go catch a taxi.”

Darius snapped back, ”I would level with you if I thought you knew what the h.e.l.l you were doing! Do you have any idea how brutal these people are? If they even suspect you're setting them up, they won't just kill you. They'll make sure they have fun killing you.” Darius was keeping his voice low, but I could see his muscles tensing, and he was spitting out his words like machine-gun bullets.

”I told you, Darius, I can handle myself. Why do you have such a hard time believing that? Is it because I'm a woman?”

”d.a.m.n it, Daphne, yes, that's part of it. More than that, I'm beginning to have feelings for you. Maybe you think I'm handing you a line and that we hardly know each other. Well, there are things you know about a person by instinct-and by s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g them three times in one night. Look, I think there's a good chance one of us can get killed before this all over. I want to try to get both of us through it alive.”

I was stunned by his words. We had been really good together, but our s.e.x didn't have any strings attached. We were practically strangers when we fell into bed. We made no promises to each other. I had admitted to myself I could really fall for Darius, but I never expected him to talk about his feelings. My voice softened a little, but I wanted to stick to my guns. ”Well, I don't want you to get killed either. But helping you enter that apartment is probably going to be a risk of huge proportions. So far I don't have any reason to do it.”

”I think you do. Daphne, I'm going to enter that apartment with you or without you. I'm going to do what I've been sent to do. If we don't work together, we might get in each other's way. Worse, you could walk in on something or end up being a hostage. I don't know what might happen if we keep each other in the dark. But if we work together,! do know we'll be safer. It's just common sense to coordinate our two operations. And there's so much at stake. And like I said, I know J. He'll leave you hanging out there if it's between saving you and salvaging his operation. He's a coldhearted b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Daphne. I'm not. I promise you that.”

A lot of what he said made sense. I still had doubts, though, so I said. ”Let me think about it.”

”There's nothing to think about, and you know it.”

My eyes got huge. I was ready to dump my water on him and tell him to go to h.e.l.l when I saw he was grinning at me. ”Gotcha,” he said as the waiter brought our food. I dug in and downed the steak quickly, as fast as I could get the bites into my mouth. Once I saw Darius looking at me. ”What?” I said before I took another b.l.o.o.d.y forkful.

”You weren't kidding when you said you were starved,” he said.

I couldn't resist another zinger. ”I mean what mean what I I say,” I countered. say,” I countered.

”I'm beginning to believe you do,” he said. We both cleaned our plates. Under the table my foot had ended up against his leg again. The contact felt good, s.e.xy, and it was beginning to feel familiar. I liked it more than I was ready to admit.

”Let's get coffee and dessert,” Darius said with a rakish grin, and signaled to the waiter. Then he looked at me.

The sizzle started in my toes and went straight up to my stomach, which did a little flip. Not many men have given me that sensation. The chemistry between us was explosive, and I definitely didn't need to think about that that. ”And then what?” I said, my voice full of meaning.

”Then we can go upstairs-if you want to. I'm not presuming anything, but I'd like to spend time with you. I'd like to be with you. The suites here are beautiful.” want to. I'm not presuming anything, but I'd like to spend time with you. I'd like to be with you. The suites here are beautiful.”

”That would be extravagant.”

”You are worth the extravagance, Daphne. You are extraordinary, fiery and strong, gentle and lovely. And the seduction of a sophisticated woman requires a certain ambience. And I guessed you would like the Stanhope.”

”You guessed correctly. But is that what you intend to do, seduce me?” The banter between us was making me excited. My breath was coming faster. I was beginning to want him badly.

His eyes glittered. ”Yes, Daphne Urban, I intend to seduce you and love you as certain dark things are to be loved, between the shadow and the soul. I want to find the hidden places within you like a traveler following twisting roads through the mountains that lead higher and higher till they vanish in the clouds.”

I'm a sucker for a man with a poetic imagination and a silver tongue. My legs were going all jelly again. I didn't know if I could stand up to get out of the restaurant. I wasn't so foolish as to think he hadn't used that line before, but I liked hearing it. It showed me a part of Darius that appealed to me a great deal. And I wanted s.e.x with this man, as much as he obviously wanted s.e.x with me. We were two adults doing an adult thing, and I intended to enjoy it thoroughly.

Fortunately for my reputation, the waiter brought me a creme brulee laced with white chocolate and raspberries accompanied by a cup of decaf. It was sinfully good. Darius had cheesecake and espresso. He ate like a truck driver, with gusto and no regard to calories. I asked him about his family. He said he came from a large Northern Italian family who settled in Brooklyn. His father and uncles ran a bakery.

”And how did you end up a spy?” I asked.

He took a long breath and put down his fork. ”I was in the military, a Navy SEAL. After a point I just wanted do my time and get out. I felt we were fighting pointless wars and losing lives stupidly. Then my youngest brother was murdered. I took it badly. My whole family was grieving, but I was burning up from the inside out. I just wanted to get the b.a.s.t.a.r.d who did it. I was approached by someone who offered a chance for me to do just that. It changed everything.”

”Did you avenge your brother?” I asked.

”Yes.” Darius's voice hammered the word like an iron nail. Then he pressed his fingers against his eyes and paused a minute before going on. ”Yes. I did. And then I was given another a.s.signment by the person who first approached me. He was a recruiter, probably much like the one who must have recruited you. Same s.h.i.+t, different day. But my life suddenly had purpose.” Darius let out a sigh. ”It seems like all that is ancient history.” He looked at me. ”End of story.” He shrugged.

”I appreciate your telling me that, Darius. I really do.” I reached over and gently touched his face. He took my hand and raised it to his lips, kissing my palm.

Then he said, ”If you're ready, let's go upstairs.” He pushed his chair back, then came over and held mine. A waiter rushed over with the check. Darius smiled as he signed it.

”Don't you have to go book the room?” I asked.

”I did this afternoon,” he said.

”You what!” I exploded.

He pulled me to him and whispered, ”Just in case you said yes. And I was so hoping you would.”

”You're incorrigible.” I laughed. ”And I did, didn't I,” I whispered back, nuzzling his ear.

”Okay, let's get out of here.” He grinned.

I was very ready to leave, and I was glad Darius's hurry saved me from having to talk about myself, my past, my family, my becoming a spy, because anything I said would have been a pack of lies.

At first I thought it was because the Stanhope is a staid old lady of a hotel that we didn't kiss in the elevator going up to our room, although I was burning with desire. Darius stood just far enough away so we didn't touch, and he didn't look at me even though he was smiling. And then I realized not touching was intensifying the expectation, and that Darius was playing at something. I wanted to see what. We didn't kiss outside the hotel room door. When we entered, we didn't touch. A sitting room lay to our left. The bedroom lay to the right. My coat was already hung in the closet by some efficient member of the hotel staff. Darius walked in front of me to the bedroom and switched on the light next to the bed. The bed, opulent with a brocade cover and huge soft pillows, was high enough to need a little step stool to help a person get into it. I stood in the doorway. Darius crossed the room and sat down in a wing chair near the windows. He obviously knew the layout well, and it crossed my mind that he must have brought women here before. He stretched his long legs out in front of him, crossed them, and clasped his hands across his stomach. He looked at me with sultry eyes.

”Would you take off your clothes for me?” he said.