Longing and Lies

Ashley looked up at him and caught the half grin on his lips. She brushed past him. “Don’t play the gentleman for my benefit,” she snapped.

“Still testy,” he murmured as he followed her up the stairs to the first floor exit.

She stopped in her tracks and spun around, nearly colliding into hard-muscled chest. The heady scent of his cologne clouded her thoughts. For a moment she forgot her retort, then her good sense returned. “Look, the less we have to say to each other the better. Just do your job and I’ll do mine. How’s that?” She didn’t wait for a response but turned and strutted out, leaving the door swinging on its hinges.

Elliot stepped outside and watched her as she walked down the street with her head high, looking neither left nor right. He leaned against the fence, took out his pack of cigarettes and stuck one in his mouth. He lit the tip and watched a curl of smoke float into the air. He’d been in enemy territory before.

Ashley Temple would be a walk in the park.

DONNA HILL

began writing novels in 1987. Since then she has published more than forty titles, which include full-length novels and novellas. She easily moves from romance to erotica, horror, comedy and women’s fiction. Two of her novels and one novella were adapted for television.

Donna has received numerous awards for her body of work including the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award, and she is the first recipient of the Trailblazer Award. She currently teaches writing at the Frederick Douglass Creative Arts Center. Donna lives in Brooklyn with her family. Visit her Web site at www.donnahill.com.

Longing and Lies

Donna Hill

ESSENCE BESTSELLING Author

www.millsandboon.co.uk

I sincerely have to thank my editor Glenda Howard who has the patience of a saint! Many thanks to the readers who have embraced the TLC series and shared their enthusiasm with their friends.

Dear Reader,

Welcome to my latest novel in The Ladies Cartel series. Hopefully, you’ve already met Savannah, Danielle and Mia, fierce sisters. This time I will introduce you to my most complex character, Ashley Temple.

You may remember her from Temptation and Lies as Mia’s assistant. Now she has her own story, one that is timely and ripped right out the pages of today’s headlines. But what is a romance without the hero? Have I got a hero for you! Elliott Morgan. Tall, dark, mysterious, handsome and wickedly sexy. Of course he has his flaws. But we can work with him!

I’m a little sad to part with my ladies as Longing and Lies is the last book in the series. Hopefully, Savannah, Danielle, Mia and Ashley will turn up on the pages of some of my other romances, keeping readers up to date on what’s happening with them. I do hope that you have enjoyed each one: Sex and Lies, Seduction and Lies and Temptation and Lies.

I want to thank you for picking up this book, trying it out and hopefully enjoying it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It is because of your support that I have been able to bring book after book to readers for the past twenty years! Amazing.

Thank you for all that you do for me. Happy reading.

Donna

Chapter 1

The month of April had definitely lived up to its reputation. For a solid week, it rained in every variety from bad-hair-day mist to outright downpours complete with thunder and lightning.

Ashley Temple sent up a prayer of thanks as she pulled back her bedroom curtains to usher in the first rays of sun in a week. She stretched catlike, raising her face to the warm rays that beamed through the window.

The previous week had been difficult for more reasons than bad weather. She’d recently finished up an assignment where she’d had to pose as a college coed to break up a drug-trafficking operation on campus. She developed friendships with some of the girls that she ultimately had to turn in. She could still see their faces, the looks of betrayal, the hurt and terror in their eyes.

She sighed heavily and turned away from the new day. There were times when she wished that The Cartel was not part of her life. As a member of the secret organization, she could never have a real life, because part of who she was and what she did could never be revealed to anyone outside of The Cartel’s inner circle. That fact alone limited forming any long-lasting intimate relationships. And as she crept past the age of thirty, the desire to find someone and something permanent was beginning to fill her thoughts more each day.

However, there were some wonderful benefits. She’d met some of the most incredible women through The Cartel and forged unbreakable friendships. Savannah, Mia, Danielle and more recently Traci, were the savviest sisters she’d ever met. Somehow they’d all managed to maintain the man in their lives, get married or engaged, have kids and still kick major butt when duty called. So there was definitely hope for her at the end of the “espionage rainbow.”

She was closest to Mia, having worked as her assistant at MT Management—Mia’s event-planning firm—for the past year and being a shadow on Mia’s last assignment that involved an elite illegal escort service. That assignment had been harrowing at best, testing the ladies on many levels, but it had been nothing compared to MT Management’s crème de la crème affair, the coordination of the triple wedding ceremony for three of The Cartel members: Claudia and Bernard, Mia and Steven and Danielle and Nick. Although they’d all returned back to work, they were still gooey-eyed and bubbly. If she didn’t like them all so much, it might just turn her stomach.

Ashley turned away from the window, sat down on the side of the bed and put on her sneakers. She wasn’t expected at the office until ten, and she wanted to get in her morning run before the streets grew too crowded with the mad dashers en route to work in bustling Manhattan.

She loved the city, she thought, stepping outside and taking a deep breath of rain-washed air, particularly the eclectic atmosphere of lower Manhattan where she’d lived for the past five years. It was a mixture of young and old, exciting and sublime, from mom-and-pop stops to reservations-only restaurants. The aroma of foods from around the world wafted through the air, giving the city its own unique, and often mouth-watering scent.

Ashley did a few stretches on the front steps of her four-story apartment building before slowly taking off down Avenue A. She waved to Herbie as she jogged by his newsstand, making a mental note to pick up a paper on her way back and a lottery ticket. She was no more than three blocks from her apartment when the vibration went off on her hip. She glanced down at the illuminated screen of her BlackBerry. “Anonymous.” She knew exactly who it was.

Ashley circled the block in her tan 2000 Honda Accord before finding a parking space on 126th Street, across the intersection from TLC’s headquarters.

As she walked down the street, she was continually amazed at the gentrification that had taken place in Harlem over the last decade and even more so in the past two years. It was almost unrecognizable except for the tree-lined blocks that still embraced the stately brownstones, many of which had been restored to their former glory, when Harlem was in vogue and the salons were frequented by Langston Hughes, Adam Clayton Powell and the like discussing the “Negro condition.”

Ashley reached her destination and spotted several well-toned guys entering a brownstone, which was actually the Pause for Men Day Spa, owned by four women. She’d had the opportunity to meet them and visit the spa on several occasions and was totally impressed with what they had accomplished. And with The Ladies Cartel headquarters tucked unobtrusively across the street, it was a testament to the power of women on this stretch of street in Harlem.

Ashley approached the brownstone. To the casual observer, TLC headquarters was simply another restored brownstone that ran the Tender Loving Care body products business, which would account for the traffic of women and the often large, all-female gatherings. However, it was anything but that.

She rang the bell and moments later Claudia answered the door. Claudia was Jean’s right hand and long-time TLC operative. What was most intriguing was that she was Savannah’s mother, and it had been Claudia who recruited her own daughter into the organization, and in turn Savannah brought in Mia and Danielle.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Claudia greeted, clasping Ashley’s shoulders and kissing her cheek. “You look stunning and stylish as always,” she said, taking in Ashley’s wild, spiral afro, knee-high brown suede boots over a pair of very tight jeans, layered T-shirts and a thick, brown leather belt hanging low on her slender hips.

Ashley grinned. “Thanks.” She stepped in. “How’s married life?”

Claudia beamed. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Don’t wear Bernard out with your bad self,” Ashley teased.

Claudia made a face. “Now where’s the fun in that?”

They both laughed.

“Jean is waiting for you,” she said as they approached the stairs. “You should be very proud of yourself.”

Ashley looked at Claudia over her shoulder. Her brow creased. “Proud of myself? Why?”

“Jean rarely picks the same operative for assignments back-to-back.” She smiled slowly. “She thinks very highly of you.”

For an instant Ashley’s stomach tensed. The corner of her mouth flickered. “I guess that’s a good thing. Huh?”

Claudia merely smiled and turned away.

Ashley drew in a breath, turned and headed up the stairs to Jean’s office on the second floor. As she went up she passed the Hall of Fame that held the pictures of many of the TLC operatives on the wall, hers included. She made a mental note to give them an updated photo. One of the most recent additions was Brenda’s picture—the prodigal daughter—who’d returned to the fold during Mia’s last assignment.

She went up the next flight and down the hall, tapped lightly on Jean’s partially opened door.

“Come in.”

Ashley stepped inside and was surprised to see Bernard sitting in the office, as well. Bernard Hassell, Claudia’s husband, was Jean’s connection to Homeland Security, the FBI and CIA. Bernard’s influence ran so deep into that side of government that it was a little scary. None of the TLC members wanted to know what he really did. It was simply better not to. Other than that, he was a great guy and a dead ringer for Billie Dee Williams.

“Please have a seat,” Jean instructed as she took off her signature red-framed glasses.

Jean Wallington-Armstrong—although she rarely used her married name—was at that magic point in her life where she could have been thirty or fifty. She was in excellent physical shape, known to jog four miles a day and workout in the gym three times a week. Her skin was still smooth with a light sprinkle of freckles across her nose. Her arresting green eyes didn’t miss a trick and her lustrous red hair glowed with vitality. She could easily be mistaken for the actress that played Addison on Grey’s Anatomy before moving on to star in Private Practice. But most of all it was the power that Jean exuded, from her commanding presence to her no-nonsense attitude that mesmerized everyone who met her, which was why it was so hard to believe that any man could have gotten away with hurting her emotionally—like her ex-husband did. At least that was the urban legend that circulated around The Cartel. No one spoke about it outright, but there were whisperings, especially when Brenda returned. But that was another story.

“Bernard, good to see you.”

He nodded his head. “You, too. Congratulations on the high school case. Great job.”

“Thanks,” she murmured. She took a seat opposite Jean.

Jean opened a folder then looked across the wide oak desk at Ashley. “The reason I asked Bernard to join us is that he is going to be involved from the beginning.”

Ashley rested her oversized purse on her lap, crossed her ankles and waited. That was an interesting twist, she thought. Bernard usually brought up the rear or came on board when things got a bit dicey. So to have him involved from day one put her on alert.

“There has been a rash of children that have gone missing. Babies, infants. Some of them from their homes or right from the hospital never to be seen again. The government is keenly aware of this.” She flashed Bernard a look.

“But with a war on two fronts, the weak economy and a host of other national and world issues, they don’t have the manpower to tackle this the way it needs to be tackled,” Bernard said.

As they talked, explaining her assignment, Ashley fought down the nausea that brewed in her stomach. Her temples pounded and she felt the beads of perspiration lining her forehead and trickling down the center of her spine. She took in short breaths to steady her stomach as her heart thundered in her chest. Why her? Why did they pick her for this? Oh, God. Her throat clenched.

“We will need you to infiltrate several of these agencies,” Jean was saying, cutting into Ashley’s twisting emotions. “We think that is the best starting place. These agencies serve as the conduit from the places of abduction to the buyers. We’re just hoping that these children have not been taken out of the country.”

Ashley rubbed her damp palms along her thighs.

“Are you all right, Ashley?” Jean asked.

Ashley’s gaze snapped toward Jean. She swallowed. “Yes. I’m fine. Just thinking…how horrible it must be for the parents.”

Jean looked at her for a moment before continuing. “We decided that the best cover for this assignment is for you to have a partner.”

“A partner?” she echoed.

Bernard cleared his throat. He turned to Jean. “May I?” Jean nodded for him to go ahead. He leaned backward and folded his arms. “We need to ensure from the onset that your cover is tight. To do that we decided that it was best that you be part of a couple.”

“A couple?” she repeated for lack of something concrete to say.

“Yes.”

Jean opened a folder and adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her aquiline nose. “The FBI is part of this operation. I asked Bernard to go through the files and select the agent that would be best suited for this. His name is Elliot Morgan. He’s just returned from an operation overseas.”

“I’ve already briefed him on what needs to be done,” Bernard added. “And he’s agreed.”

Ashley adjusted herself in her seat.

“He should be here shortly, but we wanted to speak with you first. So if you have any reservations, now is the time to let me know,” Jean said.

Ashley cleared her throat. “I’ve just never worked with a male operative before,” she said, looking from one to the other.

“Under normal circumstances we try to tailor all of our assignments for Cartel members only. But this is a highly sensitive case. In addition to which, the FBI wants to be involved.”

Ashley nodded. The knot of tension tightened in her stomach. Did Jean know about that dark, painful part of her life? Is that why she was selected for this assignment?

There was a light knock on the door.

“Come in,” Jean called out.

All heads turned in the direction of the opening door.

Chapter 2

Elliot Morgan’s trained dark eyes took in the room and its occupants all at once. He was still tense and edgy from his undercover assignment in London where he was on the trail of a serial bomber. His senses remained on high alert, expecting the unexpected at any moment. In his shady world where no one was who they claimed to be, everyone was suspect. He’d seen more in his thirty-six years than most people had in a lifetime.

Ashley’s breath stopped somewhere in her chest and wouldn’t budge. The new arrival had virtually sucked up all the air in the room. Tall, dark, athletically muscular, he brought to mind the sleekness and danger of a predatory panther. His features were hard and chiseled with deep probing eyes and full lips. His closely shaven hair was more of a shadow than anything else. But it was more than his physical presence that was breathtaking. It was clear by the way he moved, the way he looked at each of them that he wouldn’t hesitate to make them a distant memory without hesitation. His body and demeanor was as much a weapon as anything that could be put in his large hands.

“Elliot.” Bernard stood. “Come on in.”

Elliot closed the door behind him and came fully into the room. His expression was unreadable as he approached the trio.

“Elliot Morgan, Jean Wallington and Ashley Temple.”

Jean extended her hand, which he shook. “Ashley is one of our most skilled Cartel members,” she said.

He turned slightly to his right. His jaw clenched. He extended his hand. “Pleasure,” he murmured taking her hand.

Ashley offered a tight-lipped smile and a short nod of her head.

Elliot pulled up an available seat.

“We were briefing Ashley on the situation and the plan that we’ve designed. I want you both to know that we understand perfectly that this assignment is out of the norm for you. I know you had your reservations, Elliot about working with someone.”

“It’s not what I do,” he said tersely. He turned to Ashley. “No offense, but I work alone.” His hard gaze dared her to refute him.

Ashley lifted her chin. “I feel the same way,” she tossed back ready to go toe-to-toe.

“But as you both know,” Jean cut in, “in this business it’s what’s best for the operation and not our personal preferences.” Her stern green gaze went from one tight face to the other.

“If we didn’t think the two of you were the right ones for this assignment we could have easily gotten someone else,” Bernard firmly stated. “Your expertise with uncovering information and taking on whatever persona necessary is going to be an asset,” he said to Elliot. Then he turned to Ashley. “You have an excellent record of getting suspects to trust you. That was apparent on your last assignment. Those are some of the skills we need,” he added, addressing them both.

“And we needed two operatives who didn’t have any personal attachments that would hamper the assignments,” Jean said.

“You mean, ‘Who didn’t have a life,’” Elliot said, his tone sarcastic as he tossed a meaningful look at Ashley.

Her eyes flashed. She pushed up from her seat. “Look, I’m sorry that you went to all of this trouble, but I’m not the one for this job.” She snatched up her purse.

Bernard caught her wrist. “Wait. Please, sit down.”

She drew in a long breath, cutting her eyes at Elliot before returning to her seat.

“Short temper is a hazard in the field,” Elliot said in that low-key timbre, as he fingered the stud in his ear.

“Elliot,” Bernard said, the one word more a warning than a salutation.

“I don’t see how this is going to work,” Ashley said, crossing her long legs. “It’s clear that we won’t be able to get along.”

“You’re going to have to find a way to work it out,” Jean admonished. “This can’t be about the two of you. This is about saving families from tragedy and young children from a life of misery or worse. So put your personal differences aside and keep your eyes on the prize—finding out who is behind the black-market baby operation in New York City. Are we clear?”

Silence enveloped the room.

“Well?”

“Fine,” Elliot conceded.

Ashley smiled inwardly over the fact that he caved first. “Of course.”

“You’re both professionals. You’ll work it out,” Bernard said. “You’re going to have to, especially since you will not only be working together, but living together as well.”

“What!” they yelled in harmony, simultaneously leaping up out of their seats. Their choreography was so perfect, if the situation weren’t so absurd it would be funny. They glared at each other.

“Sit down!” Jean slapped her palm against the desk. She snatched her glasses off and pinned them both with a withering gaze. “Enough. If the two of you thought this was some sort of democracy, you’re wrong. It’s not. You are a federal agent, Mr. Morgan. You don’t get to pick and choose. Ashley on the other hand is not.” She looked at Ashley. “So if you think you can’t handle this assignment, leave now.”

Ashley was so furious that her insides shook. He was an arrogant bastard! And it was clear from everything he’d said and the way he’d addressed her that he didn’t think much of her or her abilities. How in the world were they going to live under the same roof? But she wouldn’t let him get the best of her. And she certainly didn’t want Jean to think that she couldn’t handle the likes of Elliot Morgan. If she did, it would compromise anything she was assigned in the future.

“Two separate bedrooms,” Ashley demanded more than stated.

“Fine with me,” Elliot said, a twinkle in his dark eyes.

“Of course,” Jean said. “Now, can we get back to the business at hand without any more outbursts?”

Ashley and Elliot settled back in their seats and listened to the plan.

More than an hour later the meeting ended. Ashley and Elliot each had a folder of information that they had to commit to memory, because once they opened the envelope the contents would evaporate from the page after more than an hour in the open air. It detailed their cover—who they were pretending to be until the case was solved—and several possible scenarios to gain access to the list of fertility clinics and adoption centers around the city.

Before they left they were told to stop in and see Jasmine, The Cartel’s techno whiz. She would provide them with their new identification, and the dummy bank account they would share. Jean was making arrangements for the apartment that they would move into within the week. Everything was falling into step except Elliot and Ashley.

“After you,” Elliot said as they left Jasmine’s office.

Ashley looked up at him and caught the half grin on his lips. She brushed passed him. “Don’t play the gentleman for my benefit,” she snapped.

“Still testy,” he murmured as he followed her up the stairs to the first-floor exit.

She stopped in her tracks and spun around nearly colliding into his hard-muscled chest. The heady scent of his cologne clouded her thoughts. For a moment she forgot her retort then her good sense returned. “Look, the less we have to say to each other the better. Just do your job and I’ll do mine. How’s that?” She didn’t wait for a response but turned and strutted out leaving the door swinging on its hinges.

Elliot stepped outside and watched her as she walked down the street with her head high, looking neither left nor right. He leaned against the fence, took out his pack of cigarettes and stuck one in his mouth. He lit the tip and watched a curl of smoke float into the air. He’d been in enemy territory before. Ashley Temple would be a walk in the park. He strode off in the opposite direction.

Ashley gripped the steering wheel so hard her palms began to sting. She couldn’t get the smug image of Elliot Morgan out of her head. The way he looked at her. The way he moved. The way he…smelled. Her heart thudded and she frowned in annoyance.

But if she was honest with herself, it was more than Elliot that had her mind spinning. It was the assignment: missing children. Did Jean know the truth? The nightmare was still as fresh in her spirit today as it was more than two decades ago. Her throat clenched as those horrible days bloomed anew.