“He must be very trusting,” Levi murmured.
“I think he probably feels very safe here,” Clay added, his gaze scanning the area as he tried to see it through Jerry’s eyes. “He has the absolute trust of the congressman, therefore the trust of anyone who’s around the congressman. They’ve been friends since childhood, so no one has a reason to think he has an ulterior motive.” It was easy to see from the furniture cushion indentations as well as the placement of two telescopes that the room was well used.
“It doesn’t appear that the cleaning staff has been through this week,” Blake said, pointing to the trashcan containing a couple of imported beer bottles.
“If I had to guess, this is a place he spends a lot of time. Private. Quiet. There’s an extra laptop charger and phone charger on the counter. He can conduct business while keeping an eye on the comings and goings at the main house, the boathouse, and the water.”
“It’s fuckin’ crazy, man,” Tate said. “It’s like he’s got his own hideout in plain view.”
“Yeah, a hideout where he can keep track of everything going on with everybody around him, and yet no one knows what he’s really up to.”
“Well, until now.” Installing the last camera, Blake turned around and grinned.
Slipping outside under the cover of darkness, they made their way back to their boat with stealth, then quietly up the coast back to LSI. Entering through the caverns, they secured their craft and headed up to the workroom.
“I swear, I don’t know how you get used to this,” Levi said, walking behind Clay. “First time Mace took me down here, I couldn’t believe it.”
The others laughed while nodding. “As he hired us, he was still working on this,” Clay said. “If I hadn’t run special ops with him, I would’ve thought he was crazy to create this space in the caverns. As it is, he’s fuckin’ brilliant.”
Checking with Josh to make sure all the cameras were functional, the group headed to the elevator and left the building.
6
A week later, Clay reached for Christina’s violin case, sliding it from her fingers as she tossed a shawl over her shoulders to ward off the spring night’s chill. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he escorted her to his vehicle, assisting her inside. Flipping on the radio, the sound of the ‘70s filled the air.
“Oh, the Doobie Brothers!” She grinned, looking at him. “Favorite Doobie song?”
“Their Michael McDonald years and probably Taking It to the Streets,” he answered easily, turning to look at her face glowing in the streetlights. “You?”
“Tell Me What You Want and I’ll Give You What You Need,” she answered just as quickly.
Chuckling, he said, “I like that song… I like that title.”
“I’ll bet you do. So, if I tell you what I want, you’ll give it to me?”
The interior of the SUV filled with sexual energy and the only reason he looked away was because he was still driving. “You can tell me what you want anytime.” Her smile speared straight through him.
Her head swung around as they drove past the diner and she turned her attention back to him. “By the way, why did you want me to stay in my concert dress tonight?”
“Because I’m finally taking you somewhere nice.”
Lifting an eyebrow, she remained quiet as he drove several blocks before parking outside a small Italian restaurant. Her eyes bugged, but he rushed to say, “I know you’re not in the mood for a big Italian dinner this late at night, but to celebrate, I thought at least dessert and wine would be appropriate.”
“What are we celebrating?”
“Being together and… well… just getting to know each other more and more.”
Still sitting in his parked SUV, she leaned forward and placed her hands on his thigh. Her soft breath puffed over his face as he leaned toward her as well. “I think that sounds wonderful,” she whispered. “And what would you say if I told you that what I wanted was a kiss?”
“Your wish is my command,” he assured just before closing the distance.
Her lips were soft and sweet, and he suddenly wished that she didn’t have a roommate or he didn’t live two hours away. Sliding his arms around her, he pulled her close, angling her head so that when his tongue slid inside her mouth, they both could take advantage of their positions. Her breasts were crushed against the hard planes of his chest. The wet kiss continued as their tongues tangled, filling his senses. His cock was at attention, pressing against his zipper, desperate to sink inside her sweet body. She finally pressed lightly on his shoulders and they separated, her chest heaving with deep breaths.
“Wow,” she whispered.
“Yeah, wow.” Grinning, he asked, “I swore we were going to take things slow, but are you sure your roommate is back in the apartment?”
Her expression fell as she nodded slowly. “Yes. Amy has an early morning practice tomorrow and was heading home as soon as the concert was over.”
“Okay, then let’s get some tiramisu and wine. I’ll feed you and fantasize.”
A giggle slipped out, and he kissed her lightly again before escorting her inside the restaurant. Even with the late hour, the inside was crowded with patrons, but he’d had the foresight to call ahead. Following the hostess to a small table covered in a red-checkered cloth near the back, they settled into the wooden chairs. Ordering wine, tiramisu, crème brûlée, and a coffee for him, he turned his attention back to Christina.
“This is nice,” she said. “I’ve never had anyone so infatuated with my music that they came to see me for all my concerts.”
“I’m not like most guys.”
Her gaze held his and she reached over to take his hand resting on top of the table. “You’re right, you’re not.”
“Your music is enrapturing, Christina, but that’s not why I’m infatuated. It’s you. Everything about you. Your music, your beauty, your gentle spirit, everything.”
“You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met.” Shrugging, she kept rubbing his hand. “Now that I think about it, it seems like I’ve only been around musicians for a long time.”
“Speaking of musicians, have you talked to your parents lately?”
Her smile widened. “Is that your way of asking if I’ve told them about you?”
Laughing, he nodded. “Busted.”
“Actually, yes. I talked to them earlier today. They were asking about the piece I was playing tonight.”
“That’s right, you said it was difficult.”
“Sometimes it’s scoffed at since Mozart No. 3 in G is one of the first pieces that violinists learn, but it’s still a Mozart concerto. In some ways, it’s one of the easiest of the three major Mozart openings, but it still ranks high in difficulty because it’s also easy to sound really bad!”
As she spoke, he watched her hands as they fluttered about. The way she expressed herself, both with words and music and even the way her hands moved when she talked, was one of the things he loved about her. Loved. Blinking as that word reverberated through his mind, he forced his thoughts back to what she was saying.