Dangerous Mating (A.L.F.A., #3)(18)

In the drawer, there were two white tubes. Figured. She stretched for the nearest one. Her fingertips barely reached the plastic. Just a little closer. In between her fingers, she held it up. “Is this it?” She looked over her shoulder and startled. Unprepared for the scene, her hand slipped off the slick comforter’s edge, banged her head on the open drawer, and she fell to the floor. Shit.

“It’s the other tube,” the prince said, leaning over the side, looking at her.

“Got it.” She pulled the other one out and tossed it to him.

“Come up the back way.” The prince nodded toward something behind him at the back of the bed. She stepped around and saw a two-tread step. Why didn’t he show her that to begin with? Then she realized what was in the white tube when the prince squeezed stuff in his hand. The agent rattled his chains but could do little else.

She would not let this happen. She looked around for a weapon or something. Everything in the room looked so expensive, she didn’t want to break anything. But this was an emergency. The only thing that looked viable was a pair of tall pewter candlesticks. She grabbed one, snuck up the steps and swung it with all she had at his head.

The candlestick was so heavy, that the prince’s head wasn’t enough to stop the momentum her swing created. Her arms continued around, twisting her body and knocking her off the steps with a loud crash. Knocking came from the door. The guard called from the other side. He didn’t speak English, but she could guess what he said.

“Sorry,” she hollered. “Everything is good in here. Just got carried away.” She made a couple grunting noises. “You know how it is.”

Agent Day looked down on her with a what the fuck expression. She shrugged and whispered, “What was I supposed to say? We’re killing your asshole prince?” She leaned over Goddard to look at his bloody head. “Oh shit. Did I kill him?”

Agent Day tried to clear his throat. “Look, lady.” He broke into raspy coughs. “The guards put the key to these cuffs are on the dresser where that candlestick was. If you let me go, I’ll pay you.”

For some reason, that rubbed her the wrong way. “I’m worried about killing someone,” she said, “and you’re talking about money?”

“He’s alive. His heartbeat is strong,” he replied.

“Oh, good.” She’d never thought about having to kill someone. Yeah, she really liked her desk job now. She wondered what to do with the prince’s body. She had to hide it.

“Lady—” Agent Day started.

“My name is Kari. I’m with the U.S. government. I’m here to help.”

Day snorted. “If that isn’t an overused oxymoron.”

“I read that on a T-shirt somewhere.” She looked for the key on the dresser. Sliding it between her fingers, she climbed the steps at the back of the bed and stepped onto the mattress. Putting her weight on one foot, she sank deeper than expected and fell forward into Day’s back. Her hands wrapped around his chest from behind. His pecs hardened with her contact. She couldn’t keep her fingers from squeezing.

He sucked in a harsh breath and she stiffened against him. “Sorry,” she breathed onto his back. Pushing away from him, she held onto his arm and inched her way around to the front side where the slot for the key on the manacles was.

Looking at her, he snorted. “You can barely take care of yourself. How can you help me?”

His weight kneeling on the bed made a deep hole. When she got in front of him, she sank into the indention, pressing her body against his. Damn, he smelled so good. His hair was freshly washed, still damp. The oils on his body smelled citrusy. His eyes snapped to hers. The fire in them ignited her want again. How was she so horny over a stranger—a gorgeous stranger, but stranger.

Wait. Did he just call her incompetent? Her sex-hazed mind came out of the gutter a moment to realized he’d just made fun of her. “For your information, Agent Day, do you have any idea how much talent it takes to look so clumsy? How many people have you seen fall off a bed? Or have to be pulled onto a bed by her one arm. It’s not easy making the enemy think you’re not a threat. And,” she held up the key, “who has the key and who’s in handcuffs?” There, suck on that, Mr. Hotshot Agent.

Handsome or not, the man was a jerk. She should’ve known. Now she knew why he wasn’t married. His eyes narrowed at her. She hadn’t told one lie, so there wasn’t a lying smell floating out her ass. Ha.

Kari reached up and her body leaned against him more. She felt pressure against her shirt and glanced down. His eyes were at her chest level. Embarrassment tinged with anger edged with desire washed through her. She brought her hands down. “Stop looking there,” she reprimanded.

He huffed. “Like I have a choice.”

She frowned and leaned back. “Yes, you do. Turn your head,” which he did. She reached up again, leaning forward. His nose sank into the side of her boob. That wasn’t happening. Her hands came down. “Okay, Day—”

“Lady, I’m not trying anything. Would you please unlock the cuffs?”

Hands on her hips, she said, “First off, my name is Kari, not lady. Secondly, I’m trying to unlock you, but you keep feeling me up.”

“What?” he barked. “I am not feeling you up. Your breasts are in my face and I can’t move.” His words may have been harsh, but his eyes melted her panties. He was right, but that didn’t make it better.