Page 25 of An Epic Voyage (The Epic Beauty Salon Files #1)

A knock sounded on Evangeline’s open door. She looked up to see Jackson standing there, looking as handsome as ever. She cursed herself for noticing. “Yes?”

“I had an interesting call.”

Her brows arched. “Yeah? Who was it?”

“Indigo.”

Evangeline glanced at her phone on the desk. No missed calls. “Why did she contact you instead of me?”

“She activated one of the trigger phrases.”

Evangeline’s pen clattered to the desk as she stood. “Which one?”

“Number two.”

She shook her head. “No. I don’t believe it. Her cover was blown?” Indigo was the best at her job. A perfectionist. She excelled in everything she did.

“It was. By an FBI agent named Griffin Decker.”

It was a slight consolation that it was a Fed who had learned her secret.

“Is she in danger?”

Jackson shook his head and strolled into her office as if he belonged. He dropped into one of her leather chairs, and she retook her seat.

“I don’t think so. I spoke to his supervisor. He said Griffin was one of his best agents—one of the top in the bureau.”

“How did he make her? Indy’s good.”

“That, I don’t know. I could tell from her voice that she was pissed.”

Evangeline chuckled. That would chap Indy’s hide. No doubt she was furious. “I assume he’s undercover with Van Houten?”

“You assume correctly. He’s been with him for a few months now, working security.”

“If he’s looking for the nuke, why were we tasked with finding it?”

“That’s the thing. He isn’t.”

“Oh? What’s he doing?”

“Looking to recover a laptop loaded with highly confidential military secrets.”

“Well, damn.”

“Exactly.”

#

G riffin couldn’t believe the beauty in front of him was a federal agent.

He should’ve known. There were signs. Her fighting abilities, for one.

She’d almost gotten the better of him. It was apparent that she was well-trained.

Her box of gadgets was another hint that should’ve clued him in.

Then there was the SIG Sauer, her intelligence, not to mention the mind-boggling career change.

Now, Indigo was telling him there was a nuke on the loose.

“A nuclear weapon?”

“Yes. It’s from the Cold War era when both the United States and the Soviet Union developed and deployed massive nuclear weapon arsenals, numbering in the tens of thousands.

This one is a smaller, tactical Soviet device.

Van Houten was scheduled to meet with the head of the Black Serpent Syndicate tomorrow. ”

“Jabari Abdullahi. We knew about that appointment too. We thought it was to sell him the laptop.”

Indigo lifted a shoulder. “Maybe he is. Or he might be trading both.”

“It’s possible. Where did he get a nuke?”

“From a Russian spy. We’ve pinpointed its disappearance from Azerbaijan.”

“We need to find both items before Van Houten returns.”

Indigo yawned. “Let’s get some sleep and start looking early in the morning. It’s been a long day, and you wore me out.”

“Same. I’ll take the couch. You can use the bathroom first.”

Indigo glanced over her shoulder. “The bed is a California king. It’s big enough for both of us. You don’t have to cram your long frame on the sofa, and I’m too much of a hedonist to forgo thousand-thread-count Pima cotton sheets.”

She grabbed her suitcase and disappeared into the bathroom.

Griffin glanced at the bed again. No way could he share it with her when he wanted her more than his next breath.

Knowing Indigo was on the good side and not in cahoots with Van Houten had loosened any bonds he’d mentally secured around his lust. It was running rampant, almost unchecked.

His hand unconsciously fingered the zip-ties in his pocket.

No. He shook his head and focused on the television screen.

It was disconcerting to be facing a storm the size of the one headed their way.

He was almost certain they would be safe from the excessive winds, but was the room waterproof?

That he didn’t know. If water got inside, there would be nowhere to run.

The bunker could end up becoming their graves.

Indigo came out in a cloud of lavender-scented steam. Griffin stood transfixed. She was so breathtakingly beautiful. Her sleepwear was the opposite of sexy: an Indiana Fever jersey and a pair of boxer shorts. She wore them like a haute couture model gliding down the runway.

“Your turn.”

“Uh, what?”

She shot him a quizzical look. “You can use the bathroom now.”

Griffin shook his head. “Oh. Right.”

He grabbed his bag, disappeared inside, and closed the door, willing his body to behave. As much as he craved a hot shower to ease his aching muscles from the impromptu wrestling match, he’d have to settle for a cold one so he could face Indigo without looking like a sex-craved pervert.

While he forced his mind to concentrate on anything else, he showered, shaved, and brushed his teeth. He preferred no nightwear, but in deference to Indigo, he dug out a T-shirt and a pair of cut-off sweats.

When he stepped out, Indigo was in bed, watching the smaller television mounted on the wall by the bed.

He dropped his bag beside the dresser and climbed under the covers.

Despite the tiredness that pressed down on him, he was pretty sure he’d never be able to sleep with Indigo an arm’s length away.

#

I t should be illegal for someone to smell so good, Indigo thought as Griffin climbed in beside her.

She wanted to roll over and glue her lips to his.

That brief peck earlier had only whetted her appetite.

She’d been attracted to him when she thought he was one of Van Houten’s henchmen.

Now that she knew he was a special agent, a good guy, it made her want him more than ever.

Still, she had a job to do and didn’t need distractions, even one as sexy as Griffin Decker. She needed to get her mind off sex.

“Here, put this on your eye.”

She handed Griffin the bag of ice she’d prepared for him. It was only fair since she was responsible for the injury.

He grunted and placed it on his face. “Thanks.”

“How long have you been undercover with Van Houten?” she asked.

“Four months. I had to work my way into his good graces, but I couldn’t crack his inner circle. Those men have been with him for years. They know all his secrets.”

Indy rolled to her side and propped her head on her hand. “Has it been hard working for him?”

He huffed. “You have no idea. He’s a raging narcissist who thinks he’s smarter than everyone. He’s one of the richest people on the planet, and he’s self-made, so maybe he is.”

“Well, he has no soul. Having that much money and using it to buy cars and houses and yachts instead of helping people should be a crime. Not to mention he’s a traitor to his country.”

“He is that. It will give me great satisfaction to slap cuffs on him.”

“Not if I get to him first.”

Griffin chuckled.

“Believe it or not, the hurricane was a blessing in disguise, assuming we live through it.”

“We should be completely safe here. As I’ve said before, Van Houten spares no expense. I’d planned on searching down here too, but I wasn’t sure how to do it without you knowing what was going on. The FBI failed to supply me with poison ChapStick to render you unconscious.”

She rolled her eyes. “It was lip gloss, and it wasn’t poison. Simply a knockout drug.” One that didn’t work on him like it was supposed to, probably because of his size. She should’ve factored that into her calculations. Or kissed him longer. Maybe she should kiss him again.

That thought caused a tingle in her girly parts.

He removed the ice and lifted his head to look at her. “I just thought of something. Van Houten’s food poisoning . . .”

“Guilty.”

He smiled, the dimples bracketing his mouth. She sighed.

“You are something, Indigo Adair. How did you do it?”

“When he came inside my room, he helped himself to a glass of scotch. I refilled it for him and added a fast-acting drug.”

“What would you have done if you hadn’t had that concoction with you?”

“I’ve been trained to roll with the punches. I might’ve had to pretend to be flattered by his advances.”

“Even if he tried to sleep with you?” His tone was incredulous.

“I couldn’t blow my cover and pummel him into oblivion, if that’s what you’re asking. But no, I wouldn’t have gone so far as to have had sex with him. I have morals. I’d have faked menstrual cramps or something.”

Griffin chuckled.

“Anyway,” she continued, “the safe room is the perfect hiding place for his illegal contraband. Steel and concrete reinforced, almost impossible to find. It’s where I’d hide a nuke or laptop if I’d stolen them.”

Griffin nodded slowly. “Me as well.”

“I saw an indentation on the perimeter of this island as we approached. It looked like a cave, certainly big enough for a boat to pass through. That’s where I first thought he might hide it.”

“Very observant,” he praised. “That’s why you were headed that way earlier.”

“Yes.”

“I saw it too but dismissed it because of the tides.”

“You’re probably right. Besides, that was before I knew about the extent of this place. Van Houten seems to be enamored with hidden doors, so I thought he might’ve had a safe built in here.”

“You’re good at your job, Indigo.”

His praise sent a rush of warmth through her body. “Thanks, but in the years that I’ve been doing this, I’ve never had my cover blown before. Making that call was excruciating. I’ll never hear the end of it when I get home.”

He grinned at her. “My cover’s never been blown either, so we’re even. How many people work with you?”

“Besides our bosses, there are two other women.”

“That’s all?”

“Yes.”

“Three women. So, you’re like Charlie’s Angels .”

Indigo couldn’t tear her eyes from that smile. It softened his face to an almost boyish quality, despite the ice pack.

She wasn’t sure who moved first, but suddenly, they were kissing. A hot, deep, soul-searing melding of lips and tongues with arms and legs entwined. He tasted like mint toothpaste and smelled of distinct male with woodsy aftershave. She was getting swept away in a sea of desire.

“Tell me to stop,” Griffin demanded between kisses.

There was no way she could say the words. This had been building since the moment she met him. The attraction had been instantaneous, and she’d secretly hoped this was where it would lead. She would not let the opportunity pass.

Instead of doing as he asked, Indy flipped him onto his back and climbed on top.

“So much better,” he rumbled as his hands slid beneath her jersey and cupped her breasts.

A flash of insecurity overcame her. Her chest was modest, nowhere near Jinger’s unrealistic proportions.

As quickly as the thought hit her, it left once Griffin reared up, whipped her top over her head, and replaced his fingers with his mouth.

Indigo tossed her head back, reveling in the sensations. The shorts Griffin wore did nothing to hide his desire, and she rode the hard length, wanting it inside her.

Foreplay was nice, but this had been simmering for too long, and she was desperate for him. She reached under her pillow and produced a foil package, waving it in front of his face.

“You brought condoms?”

“There is more than makeup in my kit.”

The desire in Griffin’s eyes dimmed as he scowled. “This happens often when you’re on a case?”

She wanted to slug him. Would have if she wasn’t so turned on, she was about to combust with or without his participation.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but this is the first time I’ve opened the box. But if you’re offended— ooh !”

Griffin flipped her over and slammed his mouth onto hers. With one hand, he yanked down her shorts. She helped him out of his. Indigo took the condom from his hand, but he grabbed it back.

“If you touch me, this will be over before it starts,” he growled.

Indigo smiled, loving that she’d driven him to the brink, as he’d done to her.

He rolled it on, clasped their hands together, looked her in the eye, and slid inside. Indigo’s back arched, and her eyes closed. So amazing . She’d been apprehensive that it would hurt because of his enormous size and the fact that she hadn’t had sex in forever. Instead, it felt . . . perfect.

“I wanted to go slow,” Griffin gritted out.

“Don’t.”

Her words broke the dam, and he pumped into her.

She came in a blinding rush, the sensations rolling over her in wave after wave of intense pleasure.

Griffin didn’t give her time to recover, and before she knew it, she was peaking again, even more potent than before.

She might’ve even blacked out for a second.

Griffin joined her, groaning against her neck as his body stiffened and then relaxed against her.

She luxuriated in his solid weight on top of her.

“I think you killed me,” he mumbled. “So damn good.”

“Good? You are the king of understatements, Griffin Decker. That was phenomenal.”

“Mind-blowing,” he agreed as he lifted his head and brushed hair from her face. “Now, how do I go about getting one of those curling iron guns?”