Chapter 20

"Any updates from Leo?" Seb asked Javier, holding his cell phone in one hand and a spatula in the other. He flipped over the two pancakes on the griddle. The bottom of these were more white than golden brown. At least he hadn't burned them like the others on the serving platter.

Javier had been waiting for Seb's call. Once the plane was airborne, Leo had contacted Javier and filled him in. Javier had immediately sent a Shadow Defense team to support his men. None of Antoine's men made it off the island.

"It will be several days before they end up at their final destination. Until then, he's checking in at regular intervals." Javier paused and Seb could hear Vala in the background. "Vala said to let you know your gig should be easy. She has experience. Last Halloween, she dressed up as a mummy."

Seb chuckled as he lifted the edge of a pancake with a spatula and then swore.

"Everything okay over there?" Javier asked.

"Yeah, fine." Seb brushed off his question as he placed two more burned pancakes on the platter. There was no way he was admitting to Javier he was making pancakes for Alexis and failing miserably.

When the storm had passed, they'd headed for a spot where they could drop anchor and spend the night. Seb had insisted Alexis take a shower while he made supper. He'd googled a pancake recipe. Once he'd made the batter, he'd contacted Javier, thinking he could cook and talk at the same time. He'd been wrong.

"Timing will be tight, but we should be able to make the six o'clock news tomorrow night."

The timing would have been tighter if Maxwell hadn't installed a satellite internet hotspot on the boat. Fortunately, Seb had sailed enough times with Maxwell to have downloaded the app and had the password. Without it, they would have had to wait until they were closer to land to get a Wi-Fi signal.

"What about backup?" he asked as he spooned batter onto the griddle.

"Our team is still on the island. We'll use them. I rented floatplanes from our usual source, so Antoine won't know we're involved. Drake and Finlay lost their tail and relocated to Miami. They've been monitoring Butler."

"Alexis made an interesting comment," Seb said, as he kept his eyes on the pancakes. "When she told me about the algae sample, I immediately assumed terrorists. She said I was thinking too small. Whoever created the algae also created the means to control the spread."

"Eventually, someone else would come up with the means to eradicate the virus," Javier countered.

"But until then, whoever controls the algae spread effectively controls the global economy. They decide who gets water and who doesn't. A contaminated water supply could wipe out a business, and then, a few days later, the algae mysteriously dies off."

"The human trafficking ring in Paris funded a bigger organization," Javier said, as he put the same pieces together that Seb had over the past two days. "We know there's a link between our op five years ago and the incident in New York."

"Five years ago, our government swept everything under the carpet. We'd assumed it was to avoid international embarrassment, so we've been searching for leads in our own backyard. I think this is bigger. We need to change our tactic. We've been focusing on discovering who sold us out and orchestrated the slaughter of our men. If we identify why, it will lead us to who." Seb flipped over a pancake and swore again.

"You sure everything is okay over there?"

Seb flipped the other pancake over. It wasn't much better. "We've got too many eyes on us to do it ourselves."

"We have friends. I'll fill in the others." He heard Javier let out a worried breath before he hung up.

Seb put the last two pancakes on the platter and set it on the galley table.

"Pancakes," Alexis said as he walked to the table, her voice wobbled. "You made me pancakes."

"I wouldn't get too excited until you try them." Seb grimaced as he reached into the fridge for the syrup. He hesitated, then grabbed both bottles. He'd sampled one of his creations. "They're on the well-done side."

Alexis reached for one and broke off a piece. She popped it in her mouth.

"They were harder to make than the recipe I googled claimed." He watched her carefully as he set the syrup on the table.

"Pretty good for your first time." Alexis sat and finished the pancake before forking a couple off the platter between them and onto her plate.

Seb helped himself, picking out the ones that were on the very well-done side, and smothered them in syrup. "I made the mistake of thinking I could cook and talk to Javier at the same time."

"What does he think of your plan?"

"Your face will be plastered across the six o'clock news tomorrow night." Seb deliberately left out their discussion of how the algae she'd discovered related to the smaller incidents they'd been involved with over the past several months.

"I don't like it." Alexis shook her head as she shoveled down pancakes as fast as him. "What do we tell everyone once this whole thing is over?"

That was something Seb hadn't wanted to discuss yet. There was no guarantee Alexis would be safe. They'd have to assess the threat Antoine and his employers posed to Alexis.

"We'll say your injuries weren't as serious as first expected. You'll take some time off to recover and life will go back to normal." He hated to lie to her and was relieved when she nodded her head.

"I guess it will work."

They talked little as they ate. Both of them were hungry, despite the amount of snack food they'd consumed during the storm. It didn't take long before the serving platter was empty.

"I'll put the dishes in the dishwasher, and you can go off to bed," Seb said, rising and placing Alexis's empty plate on top of his. She stifled a yawn. It wasn't her first. "The weather app shows the area is clear. I'm a light sleeper and will hear the alarm if we drift."

"I usually get up every three hours to do a visual check."

"Not tonight. I don't know how much time you'll have to go through Butler's lab tomorrow night. You won't be able to do it quickly, if you're exhausted." He was accustomed to catching a couple hours of sleep here and there on an op. She wasn't. He narrowed his eyes. "If I have to, I'll put you to bed myself and lock the door."

Alexis huffed and threw her hands in the air before walking away. "Fine. Good night, Seb."

"Good night, Alexis," he grinned as he filled the dishwasher.

Seb had just turned it on when a text message alert dinged on his cell phone. He picked it up off of the galley counter. It was Javier.

Not wanting to wake up Alexis, Seb opened the cabin door and stepped onto the deck. He sat on a bench at the stern as he read.

We've got a problem. Butler's changed flight plans. Both he and his research partner are leaving Friday night.

Research partner?Alexis never mentioned a research partner.

Dr. Kyle Overlin. Vala is doing a background check on him. Apparently, the guy is following in Butler's footsteps. Speculation is he'll take over the man's research when he retires.

Let me know what you find out.

The minute either of them goes online, we'll hack into their computers.

Friday. They'd only have one chance at Butler's lab. Seb knew Alexis intended to confront the man if she found anything suspicious or ask for his help if she found nothing. Either way, they'd be paying the professor a late-night call.

Seb leaned back, looked at the stars overhead, and started working out the details for the op. They couldn't make a mistake. There was too much at stake.

It was the sound of the cabin door sliding open that jolted Seb awake. He must have drifted off to sleep, lulled by the waves rocking the boat.

Alexis padded across the deck and stood at the rail on the port side of the boat, looking across the vast ocean. She hadn't seen him slumped in the boat's corner, so Seb remained still.

The light from the full moon spilled across the boat, turning her nightgown's white cotton fabric into a sheer, filmy material. Seb watched her, not making a sound. She deserved a moment of peace. He wouldn't disturb her, no matter how tempting it was to get up and run his hands down her curves outlined in the moonlight.

Alexis stood there for several minutes, not moving. Seb wondered what she was thinking. Her discovery had thrown her into an alien world, and it was sheer tenacity to do the right thing that kept her on her feet.

She turned and let out a startled gasp as she spotted him. "How long have you been here?"

"I made the mistake of deciding to enjoy the night air before heading to bed and dropped off," he shrugged as he flexed the kinks out of his body. "The sound of the cabin door woke me."

"You should have said something."

"I figured you were entitled to a quiet moment."

He stood. His body blocked the moonlight and the translucent fabric covering Alexis's body transformed back into a frumpy cotton thing. But it was too late. Seb knew what was underneath.

He walked over to her, and she titled her head up. Her violet eyes appeared even more enchanting in the moonlight. He bent his head and touched his lips to each eyelid before capturing her mouth.

Seb lost himself in the sweetness of the kiss, the softness of her lips. His tongue traced their fullness before coaxing them apart. Their tongues sought each other out, and Seb pulled her close.

He twined his fingers in Alexis's long, thick hair, holding her in place. He allowed her a fraction of a second to catch her breath before covering her mouth with his again.

This time, he couldn't hold back and kissed her passionately with a hunger that surprised him.

"Alexis," he murmured, his lips brushing hers before he reclaimed her mouth once more.

When she moaned, he pulled her closer, wanting to feel her body against his.

"Seb," she stammered, placing her hand against his chest. Her eyes met his and for a moment, they just stared at one another. The captivating violet eyes had darkened to a deep purple. "I… I think…"

"Don't," he said, his voice thick with need. "You think too much."

Seb covered her lips once more and ran his hand over the nightgown's thin fabric, memorizing her every curve. Alexis moaned in response.

With a single tug, he loosened the garment's neck, revealing what lay beneath. He kissed and licked the elegant curve of her neck as he gently cupped a breast. The nipple puckered beneath the fabric.

Alexis yanked at the hem of his t-shirt, working it free from his jeans. This time, Seb moaned as her hands glided up and down his back. Her gentle touch set his body on fire.

He tightened his grip on her hair, pulling her head back. Her body instinctively arched in response. Seb bent his head, caught a nipple poking up through the cotton between his teeth, and tugged playfully.

Alexis gasped for breath, and he moved to the other nipple, this time sucking and teasing. A delicate pink nub peeked through the wet fabric. Her hands fisted his t-shirt, and she whispered his name.

His mouth swooped down and captured hers. Seb picked her up and carried her to a lounge chair. The nightgown needed to come off. Now.

They both stiffened at the sudden splash at the boat's port side.

Shit. Seb had left his weapon in the cabin.

He set Alexis down and motioned for her to sit as he quickly scanned the surrounding water.

There was a second splash. A moment later, a chirp.

"Dolphins," Alexis laughed and ran to the port side. She pointed to the shapes in the distance approaching the sailboat. There had to be a hundred dolphins. "Several pods are traveling together."

The dolphin beside the sailboat chirped and splashed the water once more, demanding their attention. Another dolphin joined it, and they splashed their tails before disappearing under the water. A second later, they were jumping high in the air. They spun and flipped, performing for their two-person audience.

Soon the boat was surrounded by the beautiful creatures. They sat on the deck seating beside the hull and Seb wrapped his arms around Alexis. He bent his head and kissed her nape. He inhaled her scent. Soap and water. It aroused him more than the expensive perfumes of others. She leaned into him, and they watched the dolphins play.

They sat together, neither of them moving or speaking, long after the dolphins had disappeared into the night. Alexis fell asleep in his arms.

Seb didn't move. When he was sure she wouldn't awaken, he picked her up and carried her to her cabin. He laid her gently on her bed, pulled up the covers, and kissed her forehead.

He let out a long breath. Sebastien Tremblay didn't carry a sleeping woman to her bed and tuck her in. If the company was enticing, he stayed the night, and occasionally into the morning.

He would have groaned if it wouldn't have awoken Alexis. Kryptonite. That's what she was. A piece of kryptonite.