Private Eye Page 7

  “Well he lied to me, so before doesn’t matter now. Does it?”

  “Maybe,” Kierra said and moved to pull on her own seatbelt. She turned the ignition to start her car but before she shifted it into gear she turned back to Maya. “I’m not saying you have to make it easy on him. You deserve to be mad.” She leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. “But if he’s anything like Monica, he’ll put in a lot of work to make it up to you. You deserve that too.”

  “Kierra,” Maya ground out.

  She put her hands up in retreat even as she kept talking. “All I’m saying is, how long has it been since you’ve let yourself be happy?” She asked the question as she shifted the car into gear, finally dropping the subject.

  But it wasn’t dropped. Kierra’s question sat on Maya’s shoulders like a heavy weight the entire drive home, because she knew the answer immediately. She hadn’t been as happy as she was talking to MasquerAsiaN, or felt as alive as she did during those tense, angst-filled moments with Kenny in over two years. Since before her mother died.

  debrief #1

  Kierra used the few seconds it took for Maya and Kenny to leave the boardroom to collect herself. She took slow, deep breaths and tried to pretend that she couldn’t feel Monica and Lane’s eyes raking over her as they had been since the moment she and Maya arrived. The door closed softly.

  “You have to talk to us, Kierra. This doesn’t work if you don’t.”

  She sucked in a harsh breath. She’d been prepared for Lane’s dirty teasing or one of Monica’s hard commands that shot straight to her nipples. But Monica’s gentle voice that only marginally hid her hurt and the use of her real name was wholly unexpected and threatened to undo her. She raised her head and had to blink against the tears that sprang to her eyes. Monica’s eyes were wary and vulnerable; scared. Kierra had never seen her look that way. It made her heart break as she realized that she’d been so wrapped up in her own hurt and fear for Maya that she’d lashed out at Monica and Lane without any care for their feelings.

  “I’m still mad,” Kierra whispered, even though it felt like a pretty hollow excuse right now.

  “We understand,” Lane said.

  “You should have told me.”

  Monica sucked in a deep breath and pressed her chest forward to stretch her back. Kierra recognized the movement; it’s what she did when she was trying to soften her words during a disagreement with Lane. She did it because she loved him and didn’t want to say something she might regret just because they were momentarily at odds. Kierra was still angry, but there was something about watching Monica treat her with a similar care that she almost exclusively reserved for Lane that made her heart skip a beat. She bit her lips to keep from smiling.

  When Monica spoke, her words were slow, her voice measured. The precision with which she chose each word stroked Kierra’s skin like a soft caress. It was a different feeling than the excitement her normal tone of voice elicited. Kierra liked this new sensation.

  “I’m not going to promise you that if this kind of situation came up again we would tell you classified information that you don’t have clearance for. You know we can’t do that. It might also be dangerous for you if we did. If we lie to you about that now, the next time this happens we might not get past it.”

  Kierra nodded, but looked away.

  “I don’t want to jeopardize our relationship in the future to sweep this under the rug today,” Monica said, her voice full of emotion.

  Kierra knew she was right, but the truth didn’t make her feel any better. She turned back to Monica and steeled her heart. “So where do we go from here?”

  “Great question,” Lane said in an excited voice that broke through the tension of the moment.

  Kierra laughed as a tear fell down her face. She wiped it away quickly and turned to him.

  He winked at her before he spoke. “Well, in the long term, we need to deal with your clearance issues. Have you made a decision on the Classified Materials Training program?”

  Kierra nodded. “I’ve decided to do it. But how long will I have to be away?” The “from you” was silent, but she hoped understood.

  “The training lasts one month.” Monica’s voice was lighter when she spoke. Kierra could discern the shift in her mood mostly because her frown had disappeared. Her mouth resettled into the comfortable hard line Kierra knew and loved. That, and the way her eyes were no longer mournful but once again filled with a depth of emotion when she looked at Kierra that made her skin tingle. Things weren’t back to normal completely, but they were heading that way.

  “Under normal circumstances, we would be able to train you on the basics. You’d only have to go to headquarters for intermediate testing and advanced certification,” Lane offered in apology.

  “But these aren’t normal circumstances,” Monica said, no apology in her tone. Just a dirty reminder of why they couldn’t be trusted with one another as far as The Agency was concerned. It was a concession they made when they’d disclosed their relationship to the higher ups. If they wanted to continue working together, they would have to be audited – at some unknown point in the future – and any applications for Kierra’s further training, pay raises, hell, even sick days, would be reviewed by HR with intense scrutiny.

  Lane laughed. “Not normal at all. But don’t worry, sweet girl, training is in DC. We’ll just come down there with you. We’ve got it all figured out.”

  Kierra’s brow furrowed, “Did you know I would say yes?”

  Monica chuckled. Actually chuckled. Kierra and Lane turned to her with wide eyes.

  Half of Monica’s mouth lifted up into a grin, “You’re too nosy for your own good. Of course you were going to say yes.”

  Kierra pressed her lips together, attempting to hide her smile.

  “Okay, so once we’re done with this current op,” Lane said, “we’ll head to DC for your training. Deal?”

  Kierra nodded.

  “Now to the most important thing,” Lane said, his voice turning serious. “We still want you to move in with us.”

  Kierra cringed. Twenty-four hours ago she’d been ecstatic about finally being with Monica and Lane all the time, at work and after. It had been her fantasy for years and yesterday her dream had been close enough to taste. It tasted – unsurprisingly – like Lane gasping into her mouth, Monica’s essence on his tongue. It was beautiful.

  But in less than a day, she was full of fear; torn between the people she loved the most. “I- I can’t leave Maya. This is all new for her. She needs my support.”

  Kierra saw the hurt in Lane’s eyes and she purposely avoided Monica’s gaze, knowing that her sadness would tip her over the edge and she’d take those words back. But she couldn’t do that. She and Maya were family. They’d been there for each other through their highest highs, lowest lows and so many bad hairstyles. She couldn’t abandon her now. “It’s just until we catch Joseph Mehmeti. I’ll move in after. I promise.”

  They weren’t happy, but they nodded, accepting her condition. Kierra exhaled loudly and stood from her chair.

  “Okay,” she said, suddenly nervous, but unsure why. “I’m going to… I need to get Maya home. She’s got a broadcast tonight.” Only as she began to walk toward the door did she realize that those nerves she felt in the pit of her stomach were just the physical manifestation of her body recognizing Monica and Lane’s rising lust. Her reliable response to them made her steps shaky and her palms sweat. Lane wrapped himself around her back, one arm holding her around the waist. He kept her upright and steady as her legs gave out completely and a gasp escaped from her lips.

  “We missed you last night, sweet girl,” he whispered into her ear, following the words with his tongue.

  Kierra moaned, her eyes closing involuntarily.

  “Did you miss us?”

  “No,” she said. He grunted, tightening his grip and pulling her more forcefully back against him. He was hard. “I was sad and angry. Maya got me drunk. I passed o
ut on the couch.”

  “You could have been sad and angry in bed with us. Taken all that energy out on us.” Monica’s voice was a gentle whisper that allowed all of the possibilities for just how she could have expended that energy to blossom in Kierra’s mind.

  When she opened her eyes, she saw Monica leaning against the door. Lane walked Kierra slowly toward her, the implication clear: she would have to go through Monica to leave. Kierra felt moisture pool between her legs.

  As they inched nearer toward Monica, Kierra catalogued the other woman’s arousal; her hardening nipples, the dilated pupils and the way her tongue kept darting out at the corners of her mouth as if she couldn’t wait to taste Kierra. Her observations were accompanied by the soundtrack of Lane’s panting breaths in her ear.

  When they were within arm’s reach, Lane grasped both of Kierra’s hands as Monica opened her arms, welcoming the press of their bodies against hers. Lane moved Kierra’s hands to Monica’s shoulders, and her fingers dug into the hard muscle there.

  “I’m still mad,” Kierra repeated, rubbing herself between Monica and Lane shamelessly. Always shamelessly.

  “Just because you’re not moving in with us yet, doesn’t mean you’re not still welcome in our home. Our bed,” Lane said.

  “Very welcome,” Monica whispered against Kierra’s lips before she slipped her tongue into her mouth, swallowing the groan that burst from Kierra’s mouth.

  Kierra’s hands caressed Monica from her shoulders to her breasts and then around her waist as Lane ground himself into her from behind. She wished that their clothes weren’t inconveniently in the way as they became a writhing mess of too many – and still not enough – arms and legs and mouths and tongues.

  Kierra spread Monica’s legs and settled her body between them. Monica broke their kiss to moan and Kierra planted soft kisses from her mouth down her neck. Lane reached out to cup Monica’s head and pull her mouth to his, his hard penis settling into a slow and steady grind against Kierra’s ass.

  It would have been so easy to slip her hand under Monica’s shirt, push it up over her head and feast – with her eyes and her mouth – on the soft mounds of her breasts. The rest of their clothes would come off easily. They could lock the door and make up for their very brief – but still too long – time apart.

  Kierra knew that Kenny would keep Maya company. He might even take her home. And then she and Lane and Monica could be as loud as they wanted. And maybe, the very tiny part of Kierra’s mind not caught up in the way Monica’s pulse tasted on her tongue thought, if Kenny drove Maya home, they’d talk and… something might happen there.

  But Kierra’s mind cleared. Maya wouldn’t appreciate being abandoned to deal with the man who’d betrayed her – and, Kierra suspected, broken her heart – just so Kierra could bury her face between Monica’s legs. Besides, Monica and Lane didn’t deserve to get off so easy for keeping her in the dark about Maya’s entanglement with Kenny.

  She pushed away, sliding from between their bodies. Lane grunted. They grasped one another and turned to look at her. She waited until some of the lust cleared from their eyes before she spoke.

  “I’m still mad,” she said one more time, with a raised eyebrow.

  Lane pulled Monica into his side. Monica reached to open the door just barely wide enough for Kierra to slip through. Before she disappeared through it, however, Kierra’s steps faltered as Monica moaned her name and the sound of their kisses followed her into the hallway.

  Apparently she wasn’t the only one willing to play dirty.

  ***

  “Alright, let’s talk details,” Lane said, as soon as Maya and Kierra were out of Command.

  Kenny nodded absently at Lane’s voice, but kept his eyes trained on the door, where he’d gotten his last glimpse of Maya.

  “Hey,” Monica said, finally pulling his attention away. “Later.”

  She seemed less sad than she had throughout the meeting. He wasn’t shocked by that. Berlin had taught him not to put too much stock in Monica, Lane and Kierra being put out with one another for long. Kenny nodded and followed her back into the briefing room. Lane was talking before he had a chance to sit down.

  “Okay, now that we have a cam room, we’re going to be one agent down while Kenny’s… otherwise indisposed.” Lane turned to him and winked, the dirtiest suggestions hanging in the air between them.

  Kenny rolled his eyes and looked away, his face warm as he tried to hide his hunger at the possibilities. This was a mission, not his wet dreams. Well, it was a bit like one wet dream he’d had, but he pushed that memory aside. “So who are you calling in?” Kenny finally asked.

  “We considered Asif,” Monica said.

  Kenny scoffed and met her eyes. “Unless the goal is to find the ChatBot server and seduce or destroy it, I don’t see how he would be useful.”

  Monica smiled. “I agree. He’s not right for this mission. Well, not for this phase at least. We need someone with a little more finesse when it comes to computers.”

  Kenny was shaking his head before Monica could even finish speaking. Lane was laughing as he tapped on the smart screen and connected to the video chat app.

  When Chanté’s smiling face popped up on the screen Kenny felt a moment of ease that she looked like her old self again. The last time he’d seen her in Amsterdam, she’d been a shell of her normal bubbly self and he’d been afraid that the most recent instance of Asif’s lack of care for her had sent her over the edge.

  “Kenny,” she squealed. “We’re working together again.”

  Kenny exhaled loudly.

  “Oh, don’t give me that. You’re excited. Just admit it,” she said with a wink.

  “No,” he said. Chanté dissolved into a fit of laughter that sounded like bells tinkling. It made him smile reluctantly.

  “This is cute,” Lane said, which wiped the smile off of Kenny’s face.

  He sat up straighter in his chair. “Can we get back on track?” He asked Monica.

  Her mouth was tilted in a fashion Kenny thought was maybe a suggestion of a smirk, but he couldn’t be sure. She simply turned and nodded at Lane.

  “Alright, so while Kenny makes his debut in the world of cam modeling-”

  Kenny exhaled loudly again.

  “You’re gonna be a star,” Chanté offered kindly.

  “We’ll,” Lane gestured between himself and Monica, “be monitoring the chatroom looking for Joseph or any of his known associates. And you, little lady-”

  “Loving this nickname,” Chanté interjected.

  “You’re going to log anyone of interest and run down their location and ChatBot history. We need a complete digital dossier. Can you do that?”

  “In my sleep. Or in the bath, like I am right now,” Chanté said and suddenly the screen widened from just her face to her bare shoulders and bubble-covered chest.

  Kenny groaned. “Chanté, we’re having a meeting. Why are you in the bathtub?”

  “Hey, I worked a long shift last night. I needed to wash all that glitter off and have a good soak. You try doing one of my routines and see how you feel the morning after.” And then her face brightened. “Actually, how about you come to the club with me sometime. I have a few regulars who would love you.”

  Kenny dropped his head in his hands.

  “Oooh, that might not be the best idea. He’s in the middle of a… situation right now,” Lane said.

  Kenny lifted his head slightly to glare at Lane.

  “Oh,” Chanté said in a sad voice. “So Maya didn’t take your online romance well?”

  Lane laughed, “Not at all.”

  “Lane.” Monica’s voice was a hard reprimand. Lane coughed in a poor attempt to hide his outburst and shrugged in a kind of apology.

  Kenny did not accept it and glared harder.

  “I can’t wait to meet her,” Chanté said.

  Her voice pulled Kenny back into the moment. “What now?”

  “And I can’t wait to see K
ierra again,” Chanté exclaimed.

  Kenny stood up from his chair. “Where are you right now?”

  “In our apartment, silly.”

  “Our… what?”

  “Oh yeah, about that,” Lane piped up, “You’re moving in across the hall from the girls.”

  “Why?” Kenny asked, even though his brain had already moved forward in time to the possibility of running into Maya in the hallway or the laundry room. Flirting with her at the mailboxes. Asking her out on a real date. He felt like a fool. But his heart skipped nonetheless.

  “Because we want someone close by just in case,” Monica answered, her eyes still boring into the side of Kierra’s face.

  “Okay. And why is Chanté going to be my roommate?”

  “Accommodations are technically part of my fee. And why not? It’ll be like that study abroad trip to Nicaragua we took in college. Remember that trip, Kenny?” Chanté’s face filled the screen again. She grinned at him and winked suggestively.

  “Now this is a story I want to hear,” Lane said.

  “I’m curious as well,” Monica agreed. Kenny turned toward her and now there was definitely a smirk on her face. “You’re much more complex than I previously thought.”

  “That’s my Ken Doll,” Chanté said. Kenny cringed at her old nickname for him, which they’d both agreed she’d never use when they worked together. “He’s an onion.”

  If Kenny had thought this day couldn’t get worse, he was wrong. Maya wanted nothing to do with him, he was going to have to live with his preternaturally flirty best friend across the hall from her and Lane would never forget his nickname or let him live it down.

  And right on cue, Lane doubled over in laughter as the words “Ken Doll” wheezed through his lips. Second worst day ever.

  four

  It was an unspoken best friend thing that sent Maya and Kierra on a cleaning spree as soon as they got home. They weren’t sure when the others would show, so they disinfected and vacuumed at the speed of light. Kierra felt some added pressure that this would be the first time Monica and Lane would see her apartment for real. Maya pretended all of the pressure was solely on Kierra’s shoulders, but she felt a similar – if unwanted – anxiety that Kenny would be in her home, in her room, in her bed. Her disappointment at his deception unfortunately didn’t automatically erase the months of pent up anticipation of just this moment. She scrubbed and vacuumed while ignoring the butterflies going mad in her stomach.