Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

W averly woke slowly. The feel of Kane's body curled around her, keeping her safe and warm, had Waverly wiggling closer to him. His arm was like a band across her stomach as he kept her anchored to him. Being cared for was a new feeling for her and one she wouldn't mind feeling every day.

"Keep wiggling like that and we'll become a lot more intimately acquainted."

Kane's voice was low and gruff from sleep. For the first time in her life, it had her forgetting all about science and focusing solely on the butterflies in her stomach and the pounding of her heart.

"What do you mean?" Waverly asked with a breathlessness in her voice. She wasn't a practiced flirt and was so scared she'd misread the signals. Was Kane just being nice or did he mean what she thought he meant?

"You're an intelligent woman, Waverly. I'm sure you know all about biology and chemistry. Hydraulics." Kane shifted his hips forward and she felt him, all of him, against her ass. Her face heated, along with other places, and Waverly felt . . . empowered. She felt beautiful. She felt seen. Desired. She did that to Kane. It was the same kind of excitement she got when she solved a hard equation, but this was so much more. It wasn't just her brain engaged. It was her whole body.

"And if I want that?" Waverly held her breath. Was she messing this up? While she was nervous, there was some freedom in expressing her feelings with the safety of looking at the cabin wall in the darkness of the room.

Kane groaned as his fingers flexed into her hip and he pulled her closer to him. "Then I'd do this." She felt Kane shift and then his lips were on her neck. Waverly shivered and tilted her head to give him more access to her neck. His lips were warm and his hand was gentle yet certain as he moved up her stomach while his lips trailed down her neck.

"I've wanted to do this for days." His thumb brushed the underside of her breast and Waverly about jumped out of bed. It had been a while since she'd been with a man. She wasn't a virgin, but might as well be for the time it had been since she'd last had sex. Last time certainly had not been like this. Her whole body was electric. Her nerves were working on overdrive and it felt so good. So very good.

"You have?" Waverly asked, her breath coming in shallow bursts.

"I have. You turn me on mentally and physically, but I didn't want to take advantage when you weren't feeling well or if you weren't interested in me like that. You're a very special woman, Waverly."

Kane's hand began to move again but the knock on the cabin door stopped all kissing and touching. "Stay here." Kane's voice was instantly different. Gone was the seducer and her protector was in place.

Kane flipped on the light in the cabin and slowly opened the door.

"I'm guessing you both slept well," Dr. Robbins said from the other side of the door. "You've slept for most of the day. I brought lunch." Waverly sat up and brushed her hair back as the doctor came into the room. "You both can eat while you get your fluids."

In short order, they were both hooked up to IVs and eating a large and late lunch. Every hour that passed had Waverly feeling better and better. "So, what's next?" Waverly asked now that the passionate haze had faded.

"We will arrive in Charleston the day after tomorrow, but we'll be catching another ride before the ship docks. We don't want the captain or Ryker to get into any trouble sneaking us in. These cargo ships are searched and people are accounted for through customs. I have a way around that. Today I will be working on the new information you've given me on Bruno. See if we can identify who he runs with so we can possibly find out the reason for your murder for hire."

Waverly nodded. They had a little more time together before the real world could find them again. She was glad for that as she recovered. It was selfish, but she enjoyed her time with Kane. She enjoyed being held by him, kissed by him, talking to him . . . just being with him. But this wasn't about romance. This was about her potential murder. And murder wasn't very sexy.

Kane worked the phones all day. He had to do something to keep his mind off the fact that he would have had sex with Waverly if the doctor hadn't knocked. He'd slept all night with her in his arms and nothing had ever felt so right. He wondered what tonight would bring, now that Waverly was clearly feeling better and they both knew so much more about each other.

Dinner was served, but Kane hadn't stopped working, even as he ate. Now, it was late and Waverly was starting to cast him glances that looked as if she wanted to say something but was too nervous. She was probably mad that he'd gone so cold after their morning together. Dammit, he didn't want to be a dick, but his first priority had to be her safety, not getting laid.

Kane hung up the satellite phone and turned to where she was reading a book on navigation. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be such bad company today. I tend to get hyper-focused when I'm on a case."

Waverly nodded. "Me too. I might not even hear you if you're right in front of me, so I understand. I always wished I had someone to talk to about a project, but since it's mostly confidential or competitive with another company, I never have anyone to talk to. Lark would listen sometimes but I knew she was only doing it because she loved me. She'd just make uh huh noises from time to time and work on her homework while I talked." Waverly blushed a little and pushed back her hair that kept falling across her face. "I guess that's the long way of me asking if you want to talk about it. Can I help in any way, even just as a sounding board? I'm not used to doing nothing and would like to help if I can."

She was so perfect. Kane was used to working with a team at the BAU, but since going out on his own, he had support staff, but usually he worked the cases on his own. "Yeah, I would love your insight."

Waverly smiled and he felt as if he'd won the lottery. "What have you found out? Is Bruno in a cartel?"

"Yes and no. Bruno is a hired private contractor for cartels. He's been based out of Haiti for the last ten years," Kane told her.

"Haiti? Is that where I was held?" Waverly asked.

Kane shook his head. "He took you to a small island west of the Turks and Caicos, north of Haiti. However, in a speed boat, it still would just take a couple of hours for Bruno to head back to Haiti in order to be seen. Then I brought you close to the Bahamas to catch this ride."

"What does Bruno do in Haiti? Kidnap for ransom?"

"Mostly, he works in drug trafficking. Drugs are sent from Colombia to the islands and then to the U.S. or Europe. Bruno, as a private contractor, helps move the product, grease the wheels, and take care of problems. However, he also can go out on his own. He's been hired by criminals and even corporations to take care of problems for them ranging from law enforcement to dock workers to money laundering."

Waverly frowned and shook her head. "The cartel he works for most often wouldn't necessarily care about my invention. I've never heard of a cartel outside of Mexico using tunnels. That's not to say it's not possible, but I would rule out the Colombians. Could the Mexican cartels, who use tunnels to transport product into the U.S., hire him or maybe a terror organization overseas?"

Kane smiled at her. "That's exactly what I was thinking. However, my IT department is having trouble finding any wire transfers or Bitcoin deposits that could be linked back to anyone who would be deemed a suspect. Most of the time, people like Bruno believe they're above the law and are actually easy to bust."

"Bruno is smart and keeps a tight lid on his organization. He was very much in charge and levelheaded. At least in my interactions with him and what I observed." Waverly paused and he could see her turning it over in her brain. "He's going to take my escape as a direct affront to his reputation. He's going to keep coming after me, isn't he?"

"I'm afraid so. From what we've learned, he has a reputation for never failing. I didn't know that when I came to get you or I would have waited and taken him out too. At least I've gotten you off the grid. It'll be easier to keep you safe while I work with the FBI to track Bruno down before he can find you." Kane was worried Waverly would freak out, but he should have known better.

Instead of crying, she nodded. "That makes sense. Can I ask you a favor?"

"Of course."

"I feel defenseless and I don't like that feeling. I have full trust in you to protect me, but I'd also like to trust myself in case something happens and you're not around." Waverly didn't look like she wanted pity or reassuring words about him protecting her. She looked determined.

"I can help with that. I'll take you to church in Shadows Landing." He burst out laughing at Waverly's look of confusion.

"Praying might save my soul, but not my life."

Kane just laughed harder. "You'll understand when you go. Church in Shadows Landing is . . . different."

"Okay, I'll just have to trust you on that." Waverly smiled and Kane felt complete. He felt as if they were a team. She was just as calm and straightforward as he was. If she said it, she meant it.

Waverly yawned and Kane set down his work. As much as he wanted to kiss her while she looked so soft and sweet, Kane took care of her instead. "Let's get to bed. You're still recovering and sleep is the best thing for you."

Waverly yawned again. "I wanted to show you how much I'm improving, but I'm still so tired. You can keep working if you need to. I find it soothing listening to you work."

"You don't mind?" Kane asked even as he crawled into bed next to her and leaned against the wall serving as the headboard.

"Why would I mind?"

"It takes my attention off you." It sounded lame even as he said it, but it had been a complaint by some previous girlfriends.

Waverly snorted, even as she cuddled up next to him. "That sounds like someone who doesn't have their own thing. I have my own thing. Even now, while you were working, I was thinking about an idea I have for a new project."

Kane leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I love watching you think. Your eyes go a little unfocused and your lips move as if you're talking to yourself. It's great. Now, get some rest while I finish up with work."

Waverly slid down and placed her head on his lap. He absently ran his hand over her head as he called the office to finish up some instructions he had for his team. This was something he could get used to and that scared him more than Bruno because what if Waverly didn't feel the same?