Once Bitten, Twice Dead Read online

  “What kind of company is it?” She tried to keep the conversation going in less volatile and depressing directions.

  “Have you heard of XB computer chips?”

  “Who hasn’t? They’re in everything from coin dispensers to my laptop. They revolutionized the microprocessor when they were introduced—or so everyone says.”

  “XB stands for ‘Xavier Beauvoir’…Senior. My dad invented the whole thing and marketed it from our garage.”

  “You’re kidding.” She knew her jaw was hanging slack in amazement. She must look like a fool, but Xavier wasn’t laughing at her. He was concentrating on the computer screen as if it held the secrets of the universe. She realized then that he was sharing something with her he didn’t tell many people. He was opening up. Trying to impress her? Or maybe just being honest with her out of respect…and hope that they might be building toward something here.

  She tried not to get her hopes up. Of course, there was an undeniable chemistry between them. She’d had her hand in his pants in the middle of her kitchen, for cripe sake. She didn’t get in that kind of situation with every man she met. Hell, she’d never done that before—never behaved so brazenly with someone she’d just met.

  It was Xavier. He had some kind of magic pull over her. All he had to do was breathe to make her hot. And when she was aroused by him, all her inhibitions seemed to fly right out the window. It was a phenomenon she’d never encountered before. Xavier was a law unto himself.

  “You were in grad school when the towers fell?” She tried desperately to get the conversation back on track, away from dangerous waters. “You have a master’s degree from MIT?”

  Xavier looked up at her, a sort of sheepish smile on his face. “Actually, it’s a doctorate. I warned you I was a geek. I skipped a lot of grades and was one of the youngest in my graduating class. I’ve been around computers all my life. I helped my dad build and program systems when I was a kid. I could’ve taught most of the lower-level classes. I didn’t really start learning anything until I hit the doctoral level.”

  “Good Lord. You’re some kind of computer genius and you’re risking your life as a special ops soldier? And I thought I was crazy.” She went back to searching the files, even though her mind was racing. Not only was Xavier out of her league as far as men went. He was, after all, an Adonis in camo. He was also some kind of millionaire heir to a giant corporation and brilliant to boot. It was like something out of a movie. No way did people like him exist in real life. And never in her experience. Everyone she knew was solidly middle class. They worked hard for a living, and if they risked their lives on the job it was because they had a deep sense of honor, duty and justice.

  That thought stopped her short. Xavier had all of those things as well. So maybe there wasn’t as much difference between him and the men she knew as she’d thought.

  “I like the army. I like what I do.” He shrugged. “I made a commitment to my country and myself. I mean to see it through.”

  She understood that kind of philosophy. It was a code she tried to live up to every day she put on the uniform. Though they were different uniforms, the ethic was the same.

  She paused in her search to look at him. “You’re a good man, Xavier Beauvoir.” Their gazes met and held for a timeless moment. Then he smiled at her.

  “I’m glad you think so.” He returned to tapping at the keys. “So what made you become a cop?”

  “Come on. You’ve read my file. You probably know all about me.”

  “Humor me.” He stretched his fingers before returning to the keyboard with new zeal. “I know the dry facts but reading them in a report and hearing it from you are two very different things.”

  “My father was a cop. He was a detective with NYPD. My brothers followed in his footsteps, mostly. The oldest, Bryan, just made detective, though he did a stint in the marines to earn money for college. The twins, Jesse and Jimmy, are both still in the Corps. They love being marines and I doubt they’ll leave until somebody gets wise and kicks them out. The youngest, John, was also a marine, but he got recruited away by a government agency.”

  “The CIA, right?”

  She shot him a teasing look. “That’s on a need-to-know basis, Captain.”

  “Hey, I needed to know,” he protested with mocking innocence. “So I got dossiers on your family from my chain of command. It’s amazing how much of John Petit’s file was redacted for reasons of national security. Even I was impressed.”

  She laughed at his blatant teasing but knew there was probably more than a hint of truth in his claims. Johnny was a risk taker and she worried every time he mentioned offhandedly that he was leaving the country. He’d taken to not telling her much about his travels until after he got back. It didn’t help. She still worried about him.

  “Bingo.” Xavier’s focus was on the screen in front of him.

  “What?” He’d no doubt found something.

  “I’ve got an address, and it’s not the one Sellars listed on his employment contract.” Xavier took out his pad and pen, writing furiously. “He thought he’d deleted this e-mail, but it was stuck in the cache. Someone arranged a little hideaway for Dr. Sellars as some kind of perk. I’m forwarding this to my team. They can trace the metadata while we visit the scene and clear it.”

  Xavier spent a few more minutes at the desk while Sarah completed her survey of the room itself.

  “Nothing very useful in here,” she concluded, putting her hands on her hips as she faced him.

  “All right, let’s tackle the attached lab. It’s not big, but there might be something in there.” Xavier shut down the computer and headed for the doorway to the private lab.

  “So why did you major in chemistry in college?” Xavier asked her as they went through the lab together. It was small but fully equipped.

  “I had some idea about going into forensics,” she replied absently.

  “The thought of your own patrol car lure you away?” he teased, standing back and letting her do the initial search.

  She stopped to look at him. “You know darn well why I decided to be a cop instead.”

  “Your friend Terry.” His voice dropped to a compassionate pitch and she read understanding in his eyes.

  “When she was attacked…” It was hard to talk about this, even now, all these years later. “When I found her after the rape, I realized the importance of being a first responder. I knew I could help more people that way than if I locked myself in a lab. The first officer on the scene was a rookie who didn’t have a clue. I practically led him through the steps to secure evidence. If I hadn’t been there, Terry’s attacker might’ve gotten away for lack of evidence.”

  “You’re a good friend, Sarah, and a great cop. I’ve read your file. I’ve seen the letters from people you’ve helped. In just the few short years you’ve been wearing the uniform, you’ve already made quite a difference. I bet your family is proud.”

  A warm glow filled her at his words, but the last bit drew a troubled frown. “Proud? Actually, I don’t think they understand my motivations at all. The Petit men…well, they’re what you might call a bunch of macho chauvinist pigs.” She chuckled at her own description. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, but they don’t understand me at all. They’d be much happier if I gave up police work and did needlepoint for the rest of my life.”

  “That would be a supreme waste of talent, Sarah. Take it from me. I evaluate soldiers and make recommendations for their places within the unit. I know a leader when I see one.”

  Again that feeling of warmth suffused her being. She’d never been praised like this by any man. Not this openly or this honestly. If it was all some ploy to get in her pants, he had to know he didn’t need to flatter her. She’d already proven to be despicably easy where he was concerned and they both knew it. So the praise had to be real.

  Wow.

  She let that sink in for a moment, basking in the feeling.

  “Thanks, Xavier.”

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nbsp; She reached up and gave him a totally inappropriate peck on the cheek. When she would have pulled away, he caught her around the waist and went way beyond inappropriate. He went straight into sinful territory as he captured her lips with his and kissed her like there was no tomorrow.

  They were alone. Locked inside a private lab where nobody could see them. Sarah couldn’t think of one good reason to object other than the fact that they were both still on duty. Of course, her duty nowadays was to work with Xavier. She didn’t have any other place she had to be.

  And the man could kiss. He’d already proven it twice over and it looked like he was going for the trifecta. He backed her up against the edge of the slate lab table. It hit her in the back, but she didn’t care. All she cared about was the warmth of his long, lean body in front of her, caging her in and making her crazy with need.

  His hands dipped, riding over the curves of her ass, then lifting her straight up, onto the lab table. The tabletop was cold through the cotton of her uniform pants, but it barely registered. Not with Xavier’s hard body spreading her legs and stepping between.

  He was a tall man and the height of the counter put her in the perfect position for him. He pushed against the crotch of her pants, the ridge of aroused flesh unmistakable even with two sets of clothing between them. He was hard and heavenly rubbing against her. She hadn’t felt this needy since she was a teen. Xavier had the ability to make her want him with just a few kisses.

  He leaned into her, surrounding her, making her feel small and feminine. His warm body touched her just right. Her passion spiraled out of control. And then he stopped.

  His kiss went on, only it lowered in magnitude. He moved back slightly and she tried to follow, but he wouldn’t allow it. She wanted to pout, to cry, to throw something at him.

  She also wanted to moan at the sweet turn the kiss had taken. He cherished her lips, his body a warm presence in front of her that no longer drove her to near madness. Now it seduced her. It drew her in. It made her want to be his lover, his woman, his slave.

  Xavier kissed her for what seemed hours. To be honest, she lost all track of time while he teased her with his mouth, his tongue, his looming presence. She wanted it all and she didn’t want it to end. Ever.

  He drew back farther.

  “Now that’s what I’ve been missing all morning.” Xavier left her lips with obvious reluctance as he gazed into her eyes.

  “Wh-what?” Great. She was really out of it.

  “My good-morning kiss. The day isn’t complete without it.” He was altogether too chipper for her frame of mind. How could he tease after rocking her world like that?

  Now that he’d brought up the subject, so to speak, she had a thing or two to say to him about what was going on between them. He probably wouldn’t like it, but she wanted to set a few things straight before this went any further. She lifted her arms from around his shoulders and sat back on the table, seeking space so she could think more clearly. She was the next best thing to incoherent when he had his arms around her. A frown creased his brow as she pulled away.

  “Look, Xavier…about last night. And just now. We can’t do this.”

  “Seems to me like we did just fine.”

  “You know what I mean.” She shot him a disgusted look when he only grinned at her. “I’m happy to work with you on this case, but I feel anything else would be a mistake.”

  “You’re calling what we did last night a mistake? It felt pretty good to me—up to the point where we got interrupted.”

  At the time she had cursed the interruption, but after putting some distance between them and giving herself time to cool down, she realized it was for the best. She couldn’t let this go any further.

  “Come on, Xavier. Be realistic. You’re leaving and I’m not the kind of girl who can jump in and out of bed with different men every week.”

  “I never thought you were.” He looked shocked by her words. Shocked and on the verge of anger, if she read him right. Now, that was confusing. He wasn’t responding at all the way she had anticipated.

  He stepped away from the table, pacing in what looked like annoyance as she jumped down from her perch. She felt more stable on her feet, even when he was so much taller.

  “I don’t want to get involved, all right?” She turned away, wringing her hands. She was being downright rude, but she didn’t see any other way to get through to him.

  “No.”

  “What?” She spun around, meeting his gaze.

  “You heard me. You may not want to get involved”—he emphasized the words with a sneer—“but I have news for you, sugar, we are already involved. At least I am. More than I’ve been with any woman in recent memory.”

  He looked this close to losing his temper. Xavier took a step back along with a deep breath, seeming to regroup.

  “I didn’t look for this. I didn’t expect it when I came here, but I can’t deny it and neither can you. Am I right? I know you’re attracted to me.”

  “You’ve got one hell of an ego, Beauvoir,” she muttered darkly.

  “Good thing or I might just start to think you don’t like me.” His self-deprecating chuckle invited her to join in.

  “Xavier…” The man exasperated her.

  “Sarah.” Her name was a mere rumble as he moved in front of her, taking her hands in both of his. “Give me a chance. Give us a chance. I’ve never been this attracted to any woman in my life. I want to see where this could lead.”

  Oddly, she believed him. The honesty in his voice and sincerity in his expression—for once open and laid bare for her to see—was her undoing.

  “I know you’re not easy. Hell, I probably wouldn’t be half as attracted to you if you were. You’re the kind of girl a guy is proud to bring home to meet his mama. I’m not messing around here. I hope you’re not, either, because I’m not that kind of boy.” The last was said in a teasing voice that made her smile despite herself.

  “I’ll just bet you aren’t. You’ve probably left a string of broken hearts through every bayou in Louisiana.” Was she melting under his concentrated charm offensive? Damn, she thought maybe she was.

  “I’ll admit, I did sow my share of wild oats.” He nodded sagely, his tone at odds with the sheer devilry in his eyes. “That’s all over now. I’ve seen the light.” He paused, his expression clearing as he freed one hand so he could cup her cheek. “It was the light in your eyes, Sarah. The moment you woke up and started sassing me, I knew I wanted to get to know you better.”

  Son of a gun. She thought he just might be serious after all. No way would a man use a line like that if he was really up to no good. Not when he knew the woman in question carried a gun and knew how to use it. She was beginning to think he was sincere.

  “You’re serious?”

  “As I’ve ever been.” He moved his other hand, still grasping hers, to cover his heart. She felt the steady beat against her palm. It was reassuring. “We have an opportunity here that I don’t want to waste. I want to see where this attraction leads—to the end of this mission and beyond if that’s what’s in the cards for us. Between you and me, I think it is, Sarah. I think there’s voodoo in the air when we touch like I’ve never felt before. Do you feel it?” His words dipped low, rumbling through her very being. “Tell me you do.”

  “Xavier.” She shook her head, trying to clear herself of the spell he’d woven around them. “I don’t know what this is. I’m afraid…” She tried to think how best to end that sentence and realized there were too many things to list. “I’m just afraid.”

  “Don’t be, ma petite.” He tugged her into his arms, cradling her close. “I’m a soldier and you’re a cop. Together, there’s nothing we can’t handle. You watch my back and it will be my utmost pleasure to watch yours, sweetheart.”

  But who would protect her from the broken heart she was sure was coming? Who would protect her from him?

  Sarah extracted herself from his arms after a long moment spent worrying and wonder
ing if she was about to make an even bigger fool out of herself than she already had. In the end, it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered other than the intense attraction she felt for him, and the promise in his eyes.

  He seemed sincere. She thought she was a good judge of people. She’d honed her instincts over her years on the force. She wanted to believe Xavier was on the level—that he wasn’t just trying to get into her pants while he was in town, intending even now to leave her high and dry when his mission was over. She was afraid of a wham, bam, thank you ma’am, but after the way he’d just opened up and hinted at a possible future, she was beginning to believe he wouldn’t do that to her.

  Would he leave? Indeed he would. He wouldn’t have a choice. Once his mission was over, he’d be reassigned. Would he dump her? She was starting to believe he wouldn’t. If—and this was a very big if—they discovered something lasting, something loving, in their time together, she believed he would try to find a way for them to be together.

  He was holding out the hope for a possible future. He wasn’t just trying to con her into being his bedmate for the duration of his mission, as she had feared. No, there was more to it than that. More than just the moment and the mission. There was hope for something more. Something lasting. Something that could even prove to be permanent.

  Instead of answering in words, she reached up and pulled him down for a long, slow, lingering kiss. The room spun, time stood still, and two heartbeats stuttered, then began beating in rhythm as Xavier answered her passion with his own.

  “Mmm,” he growled when he finally let her up for air long minutes later. “A fellow could get used to that.”

  “You think so?” She dared to flirt now that she’d decided to trust him.

  “Does this mean you’re willing to give it a go? To take a risk? Take a walk on the wild side?” He teased right back, his hands roaming down from her waist to cup her butt cheeks, giving them a naughty squeeze.