you expect me to fall in with a little flirtation?”
Nova’s brows dipped. “A woman who is as bonita as you must have great passion.”
The color heightened in her cheeks. “Pretty words, Casanova. Do you always get your way with women?”
He hesitated only a moment, pushing his memories to the farthest corner of his mind, forcing his shoulders to lift in a casual shrug. “Mostly.” He gave her his sexiest smile. Again he swept in for the kiss. That was all he wanted. Then he could leave and never look back. Relationships were too complicated and he wasn’t staying. “Is it working?”
“Almost.” She pressed a finger to his lips again. “Except I know your type. Kiss and leave.”
“I never make promises I can’t keep. No strings, no false words of love or commitment. Just the truth. I find you hard to resist, and I want to kiss you. Tiene un problema with just one kiss?”
She tipped her head. Her gaze locked with his and then slid down to his mouth. “I guess I don’t have a problem with just one kiss. You’re leaving. As long as we’re both in agreement that a kiss means nothing, what do I have to lose?” Her free hand slipped behind his head and pulled him down so that their lips could meet. At first her mouth brushed lightly against his, then she flicked her tongue across the seam of his lips.
He opened to her and she swept in. His arms rose around her, pulling her against his body, rubbing her pelvis across the ridge of his fly. A groan rose up his throat and blended with her own.
A sound pulled Nova out of the kiss and he glanced in the direction it had come. The porch swing on the end of the veranda swayed on its chains as if a ghostly hand had set it in motion.
He tipped his head toward the swing. “I think your ghosts approve.”
Molly gazed that way, still standing in the circle of his arms. “Or disapprove.” She moved out of his arms, straightening her blouse. “Are you and Nicole heading to Seattle soon?”
“Trying to get rid of me already?” Nova checked his watch. “We’ll have to go in a few minutes.”
She nodded and stared toward the parking area, where cars lined up in front of the B&B, blurred by the murky mist. “Be careful on the drive up the coastline. The fog is wicked tonight. There’s bound to be a number of wrecks by those crazy enough to drive in it.” She stepped back and shoved a hand out. “Well, it was nice to meet you.”
Nova lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her open palm, then curled her fingers around it. “Save that for a lonely day. My plane flies out early in the morning. I have to go.” No commitment, no strings, Nova reminded himself when he wanted to pull her back into his arms and kiss her again.
Gabe stuck his head out the door. “Oh, there you are. Nicole was looking for you.”
“Tell her I’m ready when she is.”
Tazer, Creed, Emma, Kayla and Gabe stepped out onto the porch.
Creed held out his hand. “Sorry to see you go. I’m sure there’s more work piled up than we have people to work it. But duty calls.”
“Yes, it does.” Nova grabbed Creed’s hand and shook it, then dragged him into a bear hug. No time for anything but duty. Relationships were inadvisable, given the secrecy of their band of brothers. He shook hands with the men and hugged the women, saving Molly for last.
Gabe glanced around. “Now, where did Molly go? I’ll go get her.” He turned toward the door.
“Don’t. She’s busy and I need to get on the road.” Although he would have liked to see her one last time, with all the people around, it wouldn’t have been enough. One kiss should have sufficed. It had sparked a hunger for more instead of quenching his thirst. He’d be better off leaving than hanging around to see Molly again. What good would it do?
Tazer slung the strap of her purse over her shoulder. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
He held the door for Tazer, then rounded the rental car, climbed in and strapped his seat belt over his lap.
Tazer leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. “I’d hoped to sleep on the trip to Seattle, but I think you’re gonna need my eyes as well as yours to find the road.”
“So it seems.” Nova pulled onto the highway, or what he could see of it, and picked up a little speed, his headlights reflecting back at him, little help against the blanketing fog.
“The locals weren’t kidding when they called this stuff the Devil’s Shroud.” Tazer leaned forward, her hand gripping the armrest. “I hope it’s not this bad all the way to Portland.”
“It should clear when we drive farther inland.”
“Sheesh, we haven’t even made it to town.” Her nose practically pressed to the passenger window. “I can’t even see the side of the road.”
“I know. I’m going to slow down. No use getting ourselves killed. We have all night to get to Portland.” Nova eased his foot against the brake pedal. The vehicle didn’t slow. He pushed his foot harder and harder until the pedal was all the way to the floorboard, and nothing happened.
Tazer shot a nervous glance his way. “I thought you were going to slow down.”
Nova’s hands gripped the steering wheel as the road curved around the side of a cliff and started the long descent toward the town of Cape Churn. “Uh, sweetheart, we’ve got a problem.”
“Don’t call me sweetheart.” She held on to the dash, her eyes wide, nervous. “And slow the hell down.”
“I would, but there are no brakes.”
As the incline grew steeper, the car’s speed increased.
Nova shifted into low gear, hoping to use the engine to reduce their speed. And it did, for an eighth of a mile when the grade dropped to 10 percent. What had seemed like a nice, scenic drive along the winding coast now felt more like riding a giant rattlesnake, twisting and gyrating out of control.
Nova jerked the wheel at the last minute before the vehicle would have plunged off the edge of a cliff he couldn’t see.
Tazer gasped. “Holy crap, Nova! Watch out!”
“The fog’s too thick. I can’t see the curves,” he called out.
“Drop off, drop off, drop off!” Tazer pointed, screaming.
Jerking the wheel hard to the right, Nova nearly hit the rising cliffs on his left. “I can’t hold it on the road. We have to bail.”
“Bail? Are you out of your—” Tazer squealed again.
Nova swerved to avoid driving off the edge of another cliff.
The road leveled out and started up a slight incline.
His hands on the wheel in a white-knuckled grip, Nova steered the car as close to the cliff as possible. “If
