Chapter 17.

Luke twisted around in his chair and watched Charlie as she sat, hunkered over her computer. Her hair was falling out of the bun she had haphazardly pulled up earlier and she constantly tried to tuck strands behind her ears. The occasional mutterings coming from her gave evidence to her frustrations.

Rubbing the back of his neck, it hit him that the other Saints had seen him in the same position a million times since he began working for Jack. Is that how they saw me? Always at a computer? Practically living down here in the compound?

He watched as she tucked her legs up under her body in the small chair and knew a change was inevitable. And needed!

Standing, he walked the few steps to where she sat scrunched up in the chair and pulled her hand off her keyboard. Before she could speak, he said, "Come on."

Allowing him to lead her up the back stairs, she was surprised when they pa.s.sed through the door and were in part of Jack's garage. Several ATVs were parked to the side and she watched as Luke headed straight to them. Grabbing a helmet and tossing it to her, she caught it, but stared numbly at him for a moment.

"Put it on," he ordered with a grin, while strapping his own helmet on.

"But...why?"

Laughing, he answered, "I would have thought that would be obvious."

Looking dubiously at the ATV, she said, "But I've never been on one."

Stepping over to her, he took the helmet from her hands and placed it on her head. Securing the strap underneath her chin, he replied, "Then it's time we rectified that."

Her brow pinched with concern as she looked down at Luke settling himself on the vehicle. Swinging her leg over before pressing her front to his back, she said, "I'm used to my little Vespa. This won't go much faster, will it?"

With a grin, Luke decided not to answer but shouted, "Hang on," as they roared out of the garage into the bright sunlight.

The wind slapped Charlie in the face as she peeked over Luke's shoulder, causing her to gasp. Her hands, which had been resting on his hips, were now tightly wrapped around his waist as she clung on for dear life.

Her fear rescinded as she viewed the fall glory of the mountains as they climbed higher up the back of Jack's property. The vehicle bounced and jolted along a rutted path, over tree roots and across a stream. Her heart pounded but she quickly realized it was not out of fear...it was joyful.

Her hands felt the strength of his muscles as they bunched and corded beneath her fingers. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were plastered to his back and her thighs pressed tightly against his. The roar of the engine underneath her sent rumblings through her core and she wondered if he felt the same sensations.

Looking about, the yellows, oranges, and reds swirled by as Luke seemed to take a path that led them around and around the woods, slowly climbing higher.

Just when she thought they could not go further, he skidded to a stop at an overlook and shut the engine off. Taking his helmet off and hanging it on one of the handlebars, he twisted around and said, "Get off, sweetheart. It's time to see more of the world than what we find on a computer screen."

Obeying, she followed his lead and removed her helmet as well. Standing next to him, she looked out onto the valley below. Her breath caught in her throat as she walked near the edge.

Jack and Bethany's house sat in the distance, the white picket fence surrounding the backyard glistening in the sunlight. The warm rays pelted them but, with the slight breeze, she could not imagine a more perfect day.

Luke walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, pulling her back into his front. Sliding one arm around her waist and the other around her chest, he rested his chin on her head.

They stood silent for several long minutes, both allowing the vista to immerse them in tranquility. Finally taking a deep breath of fresh air, she said, "I've never seen anything like this. It's glorious. How could you not want to come up here all the time?"

She felt his chuckle as his chest moved against her shoulders and she twisted her neck to look at him. His chocolate eyes were focused on her as he lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

With a grin, he linked his fingers with hers and led her to a flat rock, near the edge but not dangerously close. Sitting, he pulled her down next to him and once more tucked her tightly into his side as they looked out onto the world from their perch.

They sat in silence for several minutes, the breeze gently blowing her hair about her face. With his free hand he tucked the wayward strands behind her ear.

"Tell me about you," he encouraged, his eyes never leaving her face.

She shot him a quick glance, her mouth partially opening before closing quickly. "You...you already know all about me," she replied, a slight blush warming her cheeks.

"No...not really." Seeing her gaze fall back to his in question, he said, "I spend my days at my computer, doing research, writing programs...often digging deep into information about whomever we're investigating. And I always thought that was enough."

"Enough?"

Sucking in a deep breath through his nose, he let it out slowly as he tried to explain what was just now filling his mind. Nodding, he said, "I thought that I could understand everything about someone from what I uncovered. Their bank accounts...their friends...their social media footprint." Shrugging, he added, "I never really thought about them in any other way except as a list of facts...information my faithful computers fed to me."

He twisted his body slightly so that he was facing her while still keeping their fingers linked as he continued. "But as I've fallen for you, I realize that there is so much I don't know about you. And desperately want to."

Charlie sat in silence for a moment, understanding what Luke was saying. She, too, had sought the safety of a computer over unpredictable relationships. Looking back over the valley below, the crisp fall air filling her nostrils, she leaned her face up toward the sun and, for the first time in a very long time, she felt free.

Releasing her long-held breath, she responded to his question. "Growing up was lonely," she admitted.

"Tell me," he encouraged.

"My father was in love with someone else and they had an argument. He found solace in a waitress that he met and I was the...product. It wasn't a one-night stand but, well, it wasn't planned. He did the right thing, married my mom and stayed with us until I was about four. But he wasn't around much. Mama always said he had to travel for business, but as I'm sure you can surmise, he actually saw his old flame. When they decided to make a go of it, he divorced us."

"Us?" Luke asked, his voice hard.

With a little shrug, Charlie nodded. "Yeah. He paid some child support until I was eighteen, but he never came around. Whether he wanted to be with me or not, or his new wife didn't want the reminder that he had another family...who knows? So, I grew up with just mama."

Luke allowed her to speak, knowing she was proving exactly what he had said a few minutes earlier. He thought about the early information he had pulled up on Charlotte and knew that while the facts had been learned, it was so different hearing them from the person involved.

"Were you lonely?"

"Mama worked all of the time and so I was often alone in the apartment. I had friends in my books, but few real friends."

"And school?"

Making a rude snort, she rolled her eyes. "Please, Luke. Being a bookworm in school hardly got me into the cool crowd."

She shrugged, but he wondered if the sting was still present when she thought about it. He lifted his hand again and, this time, after tucking a strand of hair behind her ear he allowed his fingers to glide along the softness of her jaw.

"I was good at math, good with computers, and because of financial need, got into MIT." Seeing him about to protest, she said, "Oh, that's not false modesty, it's the truth. I was smart, but doubt I would have gotten into MIT. But most colleges need to take a percentage of financially needy students, so I got in."

"And college?" he continued to push.

"That's when I first felt like I belonged."

"Eli and the others?"

Nodding, she said, "I never needed a lot of friends." She shifted around so that she could observe his face while she confided. "You know how some people are people-magnets? They seem to attract friends no matter where they go? Well, that was never me. And I wasn't jealous of that. I'd rather have a couple of really good friends than a whole slew of kinda-friends."

"What about after college? I'll tell you that Tim wasn't too happy that you followed in Eli's footsteps and just worked from home."

She pursed her lips tightly for a moment, her gaze shifting back to the ever-changing vista in front of her. As the sun moved across the sky, the fall colors caught the light as the breeze blew, creating a shimmery autumn glow.

Finally dropping her chin to her chest, she nodded slightly. "Mom died when I was in college and I seemed to pull inside myself, like a turtle. It was my way of dealing with the grief, I suppose."

"I'm sorry," he said, knowing his words, while heartfelt, were inadequate.

"Yeah, me too. I...I really miss her. She worked so hard, but was so proud of me. She was...," Charlie sighed heavily, blinking to hold back the emotions, "the only family I ever had."

"What about your grandparents?"

A small smile escaped as she looked off into the distance. "My mom's parents visited us a few times when I was little, before they pa.s.sed away. Grandpa was the one who nicknamed me Charlie and it made my grandmother so mad. She hated that he gave me a boy's nickname. But I liked it."

She turned back to Luke and continued, "I finished college, a year after the others, too set in my ways to make new friends, and the thought of interviewing for corporate jobs made me sick to my stomach. So Eli's solution seemed...safe." She lifted her face and pinned Luke with her stare. "I guess I've always played it safe." Snorting, she shook her head, "At least until I witnessed a murder...the last five months have totally changed me."

"You're stronger," he observed, his admiration shining in his eyes.

"Or just plain ol' runnin' scared," she confessed.

Shaking his head, he cupped her cheeks with both hands. "No, you're totally stronger. You're right...I had investigated you. But knowing you as a real person makes me understand how much I needed this a.s.signment from Jack. I needed to get out from underneath my computer and see people as they really are...not just the sum of bytes of information."

Charlie held his gaze, his dark eyes reflecting the sunlight, feeling their warmth as they seemed to peer deep inside of her. His hair, although short, was longer on top and blew slightly in the breeze. His stubbled jaw was dark with his beard. She raised her hands to his arms, caressing the strength of muscles underneath.

Luke watched her eyes roam over his face and could not believe his good fortune that this woman had come into his life. "Are you for real?" he asked, his voice as soft as the gentle wind.

Her eyes filled with confusion as she continued to stare at him.

"You're perfect for me," he explained, his voice barely above a whisper as he pulled her face gently toward his to close the minuscule gap between them. Claiming her lips with his own, he slid his tongue into her warmth, seeking out the sweet crevices. She tasted of mint and...Charlie.

Leaning back, he reached for a silver chain hanging around his neck, his fingers grasping the medallion resting underneath his shirt. Pulling it over his head, he held it up for her to see. "This is my St. Luke," he said, watching her eyes move between his face and the pendant. "When I was a kid, my parents told me how Luke was a scholar. I hated it then...why couldn't I have been named after some hero instead of an ancient nerd."

At that, Charlie giggled, her hazel eyes twinkling as she waited to see where he was going with this.

Luke lifted the chain over her head and settled the pendant on her chest as he continued. "But I've come to realize that a scholar is someone who is always learning. Always discovering. Always something new."

Her gaze held his as she whispered, "And what have you discovered now?"

"That there is more to people than just what I find out on my computer. And that there is someone for everyone, and for me...you're that someone."

She lifted the silver medallion with her fingers, holding it reverently as she looked to him for its meaning.

"I want you to wear my Saint, Charlie. The reason is two-fold, I confess. It is fitted with a tracker and if you are ever in trouble, we can find you."

She turned the pendant over, looking at it carefully, before lifting her focus back to him. "And the other reason?" she whispered.

Luke leaned in, placing a soft kiss on her lips as he breathed, "I want you with me. I want us to discover everything we can about each other. I know that for me...you're my other half. But I want to make sure that you feel the same way."

Dropping the pendant down to her chest, she clasped his cheeks in her hands as she deepened the kiss. Pushing him backward, she spread her body across his without losing his mouth on hers. Grasping his shoulders with her fingers, she shimmied to where her heat was at his crotch.

Tongues tangling as though in a war for dominance, she finally lifted her head up. An adorable grin escaped as she said, "I could say the same thing about you, so I guess I'm as real as you are."

With a roll of his body, Luke pinned her underneath him, making sure they were on the soft gra.s.s and not the rocky outcropping. His swollen erection pressed against her core, the desire to be inside overriding every other thought. His hands cupped her face as he rested his weight on his forearms making sure to not crush her.

Arching her back, she raised her hips, seeking the friction her body was crying out for. Sliding one hand to his a.s.s, she pulled him closer.

Groaning, Luke kissed her jawline before nuzzling her neck. Nipping his way down, he pressed his mouth between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, wishing the material of her shirt and bra were not in the way. Sliding his hand down to the bottom of her shirt, he inched it upward.

A flash of self-consciousness ran through her at the thought of being naked outdoors, but with a smile she decided to throw caution to the wind.

With another roll, she straddled him, replacing his hands on the hem of her t-shirt, whipping it over her head. With a grin, she placed her hands on his shoulders, her hair a silken curtain falling around them.

His fingers dug into her hips, the sight of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s spilling over the tops of her bra. Sliding one hand over the soft skin of her back to cup the back of her head, he pulled her down, fusing his mouth onto hers.

With the warm, evening sun filtering through the leaves in the trees, high on an overlook at the back of Jack's property, the two became lost in each other...and found what they had been missing.

Chapter 18.

Lin stepped out of the black SUV and walked into the Chinese Emba.s.sy. Flashing her badge, she made her way down the carpeted hallway, past the paintings and porcelain. She eschewed the elevator and took the stairs instead, jogging up two at a time. Opening the door onto the third floor, she nodded curtly toward the startled guard. Her face pa.s.sive, she inwardly smiled at the ease with which she had gained access.

Coming to the end of the hall, she rapped once and then entered Yeng Chow's office. He looked up and smiled before rising from his seat and extending his hand in greeting.

"Agent w.a.n.g, how nice to see you again."

With a nod of her head, she replied, "And you too." Her sharp eyes quickly a.s.sessed the room, its opulence evident in the furniture as well as the artwork on the walls. And the walls have ears...and eyes, I'll wager. Expecting his office was wired for sound and video, she turned back and offered him a polite, professional smile.

"What can I do for you today?" he asked.

"I've been a.s.signed to investigate the possible connection between the emba.s.sy and a few of the clinics in the area."

Lifting his eyebrow, the small man smiled. "Connection?"

"Just a formality, I'm sure," she stated, keeping her voice as neutral as possible. Pulling out a folder from her slim, leather briefcase, she set it on his immaculate desk and pushed it over with her fingertips. "Here is a list of a few medical clinics in the area. I'd like you to look the list over and see if there are any connections between the clinics and the emba.s.sy."

"What type of connections are you looking for?"

"The Bureau has information concerning possible wrongdoings in at least one or more clinics with Chinese ties."

"And the informant?"

"No longer a...possibility for identification of the specifics."