Licensed to Kill

Chapter 23

"You enjoy messing with my head, don't you?" Dallas laughed with a knowing look.

I nodded, my smirk morphing into a wide grin, and I finally caved and let him come touch me.

I admired his perfectly chiseled body as he moved to lean over me. He braced himself with his fists digging into the mattress on either side of my shoulders while he leaned down to kiss me.

The kiss was a fiery, needy one, and I instantly felt ten times wetter with just his lips against mine. I felt him smile into the kiss and I couldn't help but smile back.

He reached between our bodies and grabbed ahold of my hand that was still between my legs, and he groaned when his fingers threaded through mine and felt how slick they were.

Dallas pressed his forehead against mine and peered into my eyes with a look of lust so intense that it caused a lump to form in my throat. The anticipation had built up so thickly that I felt like my racing heart might explode if he didn't start fucking me soon.

"You know, I missed how sweet you taste," he taunted, a fire blazing wildly in his eyes.

I moaned loudly and writhed in pleasure, my back arching as I felt his fingers slip inside me, quickly building up a rough in and out rhythm. I was panting, begging, practically screaming for him while he trailed steamy kisses down my body, briefly sucking and flicking his tongue over my hardened nipples, and continuing downward.

Just when he was about to reach the apex of my thighs, several loud bangs came against our motel room door.

We quickly bolted apart, ducking down beside the bed where we couldn't be seen, grabbing our pistols and hurrying to throw our wrinkled clothes on. We stayed as quiet as we could, our faces flushed, as we listened for any voices or noise of any kind.

The sound came again. A fist beating against the door three more times.

"Think they found us?" I whispered to Dallas, my cheeks red as beets as I finished pulling my jeans back on.

He shook his head. "I'd think they would've busted down the door. Don't seem like the type to knock."

Then who the fuck could it be?

"Tali? You in there?" came a man's voice, shouting from the other side.

Someone had found me. But who? Wait...

I could see part of his shadow on the grungy window beside the door. The light outside kept flickering, adding to the fear factor, but I recognized that voice, and something about that shadow seemed familiar.

"Tali?" came the voice again.

I started to rise from my hiding spot and Dallas grabbed my wrist, trying to pull me back down.

"What the hell are you doing?" He looked at me incredulously.

I pulled myself from his grasp and shook my head. "I know who it is."

He watched me with wide eyes of concern as I made my way to the door, my pistol in hand just in case, and I opened the door just a crack. I peered outside, and sure enough, it was who I thought it was.

"Matt, what the fuck are you doing here? How did you find us?" I asked, yanking him by his shirt into the room and shutting and relocking the door.

Dallas hopped to his feet, his gun still drawn, pointing it at Matt with an untrusting glare.

"Somebody want to explain to me what's going on here?" he sneered at my fellow agent.

"Lower your weapon, Rambo," Matt said dryly, rolling his eyes. "I ain't here to kill you."

"Yeah? How do I know that?" Dallas countered.

Matt whipped around to lash out with another snarky comment, but I stepped between the two men.

"Guys! Knock it off!" I stared both of them down, motioning for Dallas to lower his pistol. "This isn't going to be a pissing contest between you two! Now, shut up and sit the fuck down!"

I scolded both of them, treating them like I was an angry mother and they were misbehaving children.

Dallas looked at me in shock, like he couldn't believe I'd reprimanded him. Both men took a seat on opposite sides of the bed and avoided eye contact with each other.

I crossed my arms and started tapping my foot impatiently. "I know you two aren't on good terms with each other, but I really couldn't give a flying shit less. All three of us are in too much danger right now to let petty shit like this distract us. We need to focus one-hundred-percent on finishing up this mission with the least amount of damage to ourselves as possible. Are we on the same page here, boys, or do I have to repeat myself through a bullhorn?"

"We're clear," both of them muttered at the same time.

"Now, please enlighten me as to why you're here." I directed my attention to Matt, who looked like he was stewing in his own disdain.

I pulled the rolling chair over from the dilapidated desk across the room and took a seat in front of Matt and Dallas, my arms still crossed and my temper still flaring.

I didn't know if I was irritated because Matt just showed up out of nowhere, or because the two of them were clearly on each other's shit lists, or maybe just because I'd been interrupted in the midst of what was going to be mind-blowing sex that I so fucking desperately needed. Maybe I was mad about all of the above.

"When I heard that you'd gone missing a few days ago, I volunteered to lead the search for you," Matt began, and I could see the concern in his eyes. He'd obviously been very worried for my safety. "Brit told me no, but the London director overrode her decision and called me to the U.K. office. I was told that you'd disappeared in Berlin while searching for a missing agent. A.R.T. sent me and four others to comb Germany to find you."

"Are the others-"

"They're from the London office. They don't know that I've found you."

I understood right away that Matt hadn't told his search team that he'd found me or where I was because he, like me, wasn't completely sure he could trust the London agents.

"What are you going to tell them?" Dallas piped up, his tone still grumpy.

"I sent them in the direction of Hamburg. We've got at least two days before they realize they've been given the runaround. I'll figure something out."

I took a few seconds to look Matt over – really look at him. He was visibly exhausted with dark circles under his eyes. There were cuts, scrapes, and bruises on various parts of his exposed skin. His usual lively eyes were dull and tired, like he hadn't slept in days. His hair was a mess and his clothing was tattered. Then I noticed the edge of a white bandage peeking out from his shirt sleeve.

"What happened to you?" I gestured to it.

Matt reached up and rubbed his palm over his shoulder, lifting up his sleeve where the bandage could be seen. There was a decent sized blood stain seeping through the fabric.

"Did you get-"

"Shot," he said flatly.

"Are you-"

"I'm fine." His tone was harsh, but I told myself that was just the pain in his arm talking.

Matt pulled his sleeve back down and straightened his back, rolling his shoulders a couple times and wincing at a twinge of pain that followed the action. Then his face became the most serious I think I'd ever seen.

"Tali, there's something I have to tell you."