"And hopefully, he will die because of that," Max said harshly.
His words sent a chill down her spine. "I don't want revenge to kill you, too, Max. Killing Qadir isn't going to bring anyone back."
"I'm not trying to bring anyone back; I'm trying to stop him from killing anyone else. I know you're going to tell me he should be in jail, that revenge isn't justice, and that's what I believed. Until my agency sent a killer back out in the world to gather intelligence that he was never going to give to us."
"That was a terrible calculation on their part. But it wouldn't happen again. We can bring him in and put him in jail."
"Why do you care if he's dead or alive?"
"I don't actually care about that," she admitted, bringing surprise to his gaze. "I care about you, about what revenge might do to you."
His fingers tightened around hers as he gazed deep into her eyes. "I care about you, too, Kara."
"It's strange isn't it, how we came to know each other, how we got here... I struggle with the whole idea of fate and things happening for a reason, because I lost my dad when I was young, when he was young. And I see so many other deaths that really don't seem to have a reason. But maybe that's what faith is about. I don't know."
"Neither do I, and that's too heavy of a question to ponder right now. You're a deep thinker, aren't you, Kara?"
"I am. I have a feeling you are, too."
"Sometimes," he admitted. "My brain can get me into trouble. My ideas aren't always the best. In fact, I have an idea right now that I can't seem to shake."
As the heat between their fingers ran through the rest of her body, she knew exactly what he was thinking, and here in this quiet apartment, so high above the city, she felt like they were in a special safe place that was just about the two of them and not at all about reality. And she needed that escape.
"We've had a lot of close calls in the past couple of days," she murmured.
He nodded in agreement. "Those close calls are a reminder of how fragile life can be. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, Kara."
"Maybe nothing. Maybe we find Qadir, shut down his plan, save the world, and everything is great."
"There's my positive thinker. I like the sound of that," he said.
"Me, too. But just in case it isn't exactly like that…" she began. "Let's go into the bedroom and see what making love in a five-star luxury hotel room bed is all about. It could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
"Are you talking about the bed or me?" he asked with a laugh.
She grinned back at him. "I don't know. Maybe you should take that as a challenge. I know you like to win."
"You're going to win, too," he promised as he pulled her in for a hot kiss. And then they scrambled to their feet and ran into the bedroom.
The teasing turned to passion as she shed her robe and he stripped off his clothes, and they tumbled onto the soft, enveloping mattress with a desperate, passionate need to be together. But Max was determined to beat the bed, tasting and touching her in a way that rocked her world more than any explosion. She didn't know what the future would bring, but tonight she was with a man who challenged her and protected her and also knew how to love her in a way she'd never thought was possible.
Afterward, they lay tangled together in the hotel room darkness, the city lights painting patterns on the surrounding walls. She rested her head on Max's chest, soothed by the sound of his heartbeat, by the safe bubble of happiness that surrounded them, if only for a few more hours…
Chapter Twenty-Two
Monday morning arrived far too fast for Kara, but the sun streaming through the open curtains woke her up, and when she glanced at the clock and saw it was almost eight, she immediately sat up, disturbing the very handsome, very naked man sleeping next to her.
"Is it morning?" he mumbled as he opened his eyes.
She smiled, wishing she could slide back under the covers and make love to him again. "It's eight o'clock. We have to get up, get to work."
He gave her a sleepy grin as he rolled over onto his side, hooked one hand around her neck, and brought her back down for a kiss that immediately sent a wave of desire through her. But she somehow found the strength to pull away. "We have to get up, Max. I need to get to the office and go over everything with my team, see if we can figure out where Caleb and Qadir and everyone else are hiding."
His expression grew more serious with each passing word, and he sat up now, fully awake. "You're right. We have a lot to do. I need to touch base with Reza?—"
"Reza?" she interrupted. "Is that the person who shall not be named?"
"Since I just named him, yes," he said with annoyance, which was directed more at himself than at her.
