Mission: Irresistible
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A short while later, SPEAR named East manager of the hotel where he’d been sent to recuperate. His file at SPEAR was purged and his days as a counterespionage agent were over. But that hadn’t ended his ties with the organization. Condor Mountain Resort and Spa was a part of the Monarch Hotel Chain—a legitimate corporation owned and operated by SPEAR, and available to agents on the verge of burnout.
Occasionally East saw acquaintances from his days of active duty, but only if they were sent to the Condor Resort for some R and R after the close of a particularly grueling case. Yet the tie that had bound them together before had been severed by time and distance. That part of his life was over. He existed in a come-and-go world with his adopted son as his only family and it was just the way he liked it. Only now and then was he haunted by nightmares, and when he was, he focused instead on the doctor Jeff was studying to become, rather than the horrors of his own past. It should have been enough, but the absence of a woman in his life often left him with a rootless, empty feeling. Yet how could he live his own life to the fullest when he’d taken the life of an innocent man?
The two seagulls which been sitting on the railing took flight as a waiter walked past. A few moments later, Easton Kirby walked out on the patio, causing more than a few female hearts to flutter, as well. He nodded and smiled as he moved through the area, but his focus was on the couple at the far table. They’d checked in last night after he’d gone to bed, but his staff had informed him they were here. He made it a habit to personally greet all honeymooners, and from the way the pair was cuddling through their morning meal, their stay at Condor Mountain was off to a good start. He couldn’t help thinking how blessed they were. Their whole lives were ahead of them, while his was stalled in a guilt-ridden limbo.
Before he reached their table, his cell phone rang. He moved to a guest-free area of the patio to take the call.
“Hello.”
“Kirby.”
It had been years since East had heard that voice, but there was no mistaking it. Instinctively, he moved off the terrace and down the steps toward the beach, putting distance between himself and the rest of the world.
“Jonah?”
“Yes.”
East reached the first landing, and sat. Something told him he needed to be immobile when he took this call.
“How have you been?” Jonah asked.
East’s belly knotted. “Fine, but I’m assuming you know that, sir, or you wouldn’t be calling.”
A slow intake of breath was all East heard. He waited for Jonah to continue. Chit-chat was not something one did with this man. Finally, Jonah spoke.
“I need to ask a favor of you,”
East’s eyes widened. Favor? Jonah didn’t ask favors, he gave orders.
“Sir?”
“I have a problem—a big problem,” Jonah said. “Someone is trying to destroy me.”
East’s heart skipped a beat and he stood abruptly, as if bracing himself for an unspeakable blow.
“Destroy you?”
“It’s complicated,” Jonah said. “Suffice it to say that things are surfacing within high places that make it look as if I’m a war criminal, as well as a traitor to my country.” There was a moment of hesitation before he continued. “It’s not true.”
East’s eyes narrowed. “Telling me that was unnecessary. That much I know.”
Again, there was a hesitation, then Jonah spoke. “I thank you for that. But the problem still exists and despite my unlimited…uh, shall we say access…to confidential material, I have been unable to trace the source. For all I know, it could be within SPEAR itself.”
East was incredulous. “No sir! I don’t believe that’s possible.”
“I would like to think so, too,” Jonah said. “But at this point, nothing or no one can be ruled out.”
East frowned. “If that’s so, then why call me?”
“Because, technically, you are inactive. It’s been ten years since you’ve been in the field. We have no axes to grind and no issues that could be a possible basis for these actions. I have to trust someone. You’re it.”
East’s gut knotted tighter. “Sir…don’t ask this of me.”
Jonah’s sigh whispered through East’s conscience like a knife.
“It’s been ten years since that incident with the kid,” Jonah said.
East swallowed harshly, then closed his eyes against the glare of sunlight upon the water.
“Tell that to my psyche,” he growled. “Besides, I have a family to consider.”
“Yes…Jeff, isn’t it? Studying to be a doctor?”
“Yes, sir. He’s interning now in L.A.”
“He’s a man, Kirby, not a kid.”
A noise on the beach below caught Kirby’s attention, he opened his eyes and turned. It was a pair of sea lions sunning themselves on an outcropping of rock. For a moment, he lost himself in the spray of surf hammering against the rocks and the seabirds doing a little two-step upon the sand. The urge to take the phone and toss it into the water, disconnecting himself from both Jonah and the world was overwhelming, but it was a futile thought. He’d learned long ago that no matter how hard he’d tried, he had not been able to get away from his past.
“Kirby…are you there?”
East sighed. “Yes, sir. I was just thinking.”
There was a note of eagerness in Jonah’s voice. “And?”
“I have to ask you a question,” East said.
“Ask.”
“Is this an order?”
This time, there was no mistaking the sigh in Jonah’s voice. “I can’t order you to do a personal favor for me.”
“I’m not the man I used to be. I’ve been out of the business too long. I’ve lost the edge needed to survive.”
There was a long moment of silence, then Jonah spoke. “So…you’re turning me down.”
“Yes.”
Again Jonah hesitated, but this time his voice was void of emotion.
“I understand. Oh, and Kirby, this call never happened.”
“What call, sir?”
The line went dead and Kirby knew there would never be a traceable record of the call ever happening. A fresh wave of guilt hit him head-on.
“Damn it to hell.”
He spun on his heels and headed back to the hotel.
Chapter 2
Sweat slipped from the sweatband around Alicia Corbin’s head and into her right eye as she focused on a spot upon the wall in front of her, rather than the pain of burning muscles in her legs. Gripping the handlebars of the workout bike a little tighter, she glanced at the digital readout on the machine and grimaced. Only another mile to go and she could quit.
Although she was a health club regular, she hated working out. Her preference would have been to take a long, leisurely walk in a deeply wooded area with only squirrels and deer for companions rather than some of these perspiring males who kept strutting from one machine to the other, and whose sole intent was for a perfect body and some female adulation. But then Ally would be the first to admit that she was uncomfortable with her own sexuality. She didn’t see herself as others saw her. She looked in a mirror and saw a woman on the verge of being too thin, whereas most women would have been overjoyed to be built in her image. Of average height, Ally’s slim, finely toned body was strong and high-breasted with hips that would never spread. The striking combination of auburn hair and green eyes gave her youthful features a pixie appearance, rather than that of a sultry vixen. But there was nothing fey about Ally. No one would ever have guessed that she was a highly-trained operative within a secret branch of the government, or that her IQ was off the scale. She’d entered high school at the age of ten, graduating two years later. By the time she had turned seventeen, she had a Ph.D. in physics, another in criminology, and was considering another round of classes when she’d been recruited by SPEAR. At the time, it had seemed like a good idea. Her parents, intellectuals who were more concerned with their life paths than with hers, had left most of her upbringing to hired help and higher education, so it was no jolt for Ally to go from a college campus to the training ground of SPEAR.
But being so much younger than her fellow students at college had been a drawback socially. She had made no close friends. If anyone had happened to notice that the quiet little genius was no longer on campus, it was so much the better. At least she wouldn’t be ruining the grading curve for anyone else.
And for Ally, joining SPEAR was all a matter of readjusting priorities. There wasn’t much SPEAR’s instructors could teach her in the way of technology, but learning about covert activities and enduring the intense physical training put her in an entirely different world. There had been days when she wasn’t sure she would survive, yet she had. Now it was so much a part of her life, she rarely thought about the way it had been before.
Today was only the second day of a much needed vacation and making the decision to go to the gym had come in a weak moment. Now, as she neared the end of her workout, the muscles in her legs were weak and burning. She gritted her teeth and bared down on the pedals, giving up her last bit of energy. Just as the digital readout clicked over to read twenty miles, she began to ease off, letting her muscles adjust to stopping. Finally, as she let her feet slip out of the pedals, she slumped over the handlebars with sweat pouring down her neck and between her breasts, her heart thundering in her ears.
As she sat, her cell phone began to ring. Wearily, she slid off the bicycle seat and walked toward the bench where she’d left a fresh towel and her phone, wondering as she did, who could have possibly known she was here. As she picked it up to answer, she remembered she’d left Call Forwarding on her phone.
“Hello?”
“Alicia, we haven’t heard from you in a while.”
The cool, almost impersonal tone in her mother’s voice had long since ceased to hurt her. She draped the fresh towel around her neck and began mopping perspiration as she dropped onto the bench.
“I’ve been…gone,” Ally said, hesitating on the last word. There was never any option about discussing the cases she worked on with anyone, parent or no. In fact, discussion about SPEAR was nonexistent, because to the general public, SPEAR did not even exist.
“We assumed as much.” Then, as if it was no big deal, Mavis Corbin added, “Next week is your birthday, but your father and I are going to be out of the country. So, Happy Birthday, Alicia and many more.”
Ally ignored a quick surge of disappointment. It wasn’t the first time this had happened. It wouldn’t be the last.
“Thank you, Mother,” Ally said. “Where are you going this time?”
“Egypt. A whole new burial ground has been discovered. Your father is so excited. This is very important to us, you know.”
Ally grinned bitterly. She knew all too well what was important to her parents and she was low on the list. “Yes, Mother, I know. Have a good trip and thanks for calling.”
“You’re welcome, dear. Take care.”
Before Ally could respond, the line went dead. She hung up the receiver and headed for the showers. She had a sudden urge for a milkshake and a chocolate doughnut. Instead, a half hour later she was standing in line, waiting for her order of black coffee and a plain bagel to be filled.
“Four-fifty,” the clerk said, handing her a white sack with the top neatly folded and a steaming cup of coffee.
She paid, stuffed her change in the pocket of her sweatpants and headed for the door. It wasn’t until she was unlocking her car and the sack bumped against the door that she realized there was something more than a bagel inside. The hair crawled on the back of her neck as she slid behind the steering wheel and locked herself in. Then she set her coffee cup in the holder on the dash and opened the sack.
The small black cassette in the bottom of the sack could only mean one thing.
“Well, hell,” Ally muttered, as she slid the cassette into the stereo on the dash. Jonah’s deep, gravelly voice was familiar, as was the unusual way in which she’d been contacted. It was typical of the anonymity of SPEAR. Ordinarily she would have been excited about a new assignment, but she hadn’t even been home long enough to do laundry or have an all-night session watching her favorite movies.
She started the car, listening to the tape as she drove toward home, every now and then allowing herself a frown as she pinched off bites of the bagel and poked them into her mouth.
As far as assignments went it was unusual, although she couldn’t find fault with the location. She’d heard of the spa on Condor Mountain and had no problem at all taking advantage of some free R and R. And Easton Kirby, who was now the manager of the place, was a legend within the agency. Her curiosity piqued as Jonah’s spare remarks began to sink in. If she understood him correctly, and she was certain she did because Jonah was not a man to leave anything to the imagination, Jonah needed Easton Kirby on active duty and Kirby had refused. The tape ended with a final order.
Ally was to change his mind—in any way that she could.
She ejected the tape and tossed it back into the sack, well aware that within thirty seconds of it having been played, it would go blank, leaving no trace of ever having been recorded upon. She pulled into the driveway of her house and punched the garage door opener. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes snapping angrily as she waited for the garage door to go up.
“Change his mind?” she muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “And how am I supposed to do that…drive him mad with my womanly wiles?”
Seconds later she pulled into the garage, lowered the door and then got out, but only after the door was completely shut. Her house key was in her hand as she swept the garage with a casual gaze before making a move toward the door. Once inside, she dumped her sweaty gym clothes on the washer and the bagel sack in the trash, then downed the last of her coffee before adding the empty cup to the lot.
The red light on her answering machine was blinking, but her mind was on the new assignment. What in blazes did one wear to coerce a reluctant operative back into the fold?
Almost a week later and a year older, Ally pulled into the parking lot of the Condor Mountain Resort and Spa, then sat for a moment, staring at the magnificence of the building and grounds. The four-story mixture of Gothic and Victorian architecture seemed to fit the starkness of the geography. Lush was not a word that described this part of the California coast. The mountainous area of the region had steep, and often narrow, winding roads, and the forestation of the area was sparse, often leaving bare spots in the rocky terrain. But there was a beauty to the land that seemed to fit the power of the waters that pounded the coast. Overhead, seagulls dipped and swooped, riding the air currents while searching for food, and she could hear the harsh, guttural barks of sea lions coming from the beach below. From where she was sitting, she could see the beginnings of a long, descending series of steps leading down the side of the hill toward the Pacific. The view was breathtaking and the weather sunny and breezy, which was typical for this time of year. She couldn’t help wishing this was going to be a “real” vacation and not another undercover assignment.
As she got out of the car and went around to the trunk to get her bags, she had to admit, her job this time was hardly on a par with what she normally did. At least she wouldn’t be posing as some wayward teenager or wild child in order to infiltrate some crime syndicate. All she had to do was convince Easton Kirby to come back on active duty. How difficult could that be?
She popped the trunk on her car and leaned in to get out her bag. As she did, a large shadow suddenly passed between her and the sun and she knew she was no longer alone. She straightened and turned, expecting a bellhop, or at the least an employee of the resort.
It was a man.
He was tall, so tall, and standing close—too close.
Slightly blinded from the sunlight behind him, she saw nothing but his silhouette. And then he stepped to one side to reach for her bag and she saw his face.
It was Easton Kirby himself—the man she’d come to meet.
Well, this makes it easy. At least I won’t have to wangle an introduction.
“Ms. Corbin, welcome to Condor Mountain,” he said, as he lifted her bag from the trunk of her car.
She thought nothing of the fact that he would know her on sight. The agency would have followed procedure and notified him ahead of time that an operative would be arriving.
“Thank you,” Ally said, a little disconcerted by his height and the way he was looking at her.
She was five inches over five feet tall and he seemed a good foot taller. And, there was a look in his eyes that made her shiver. She shrugged off the thought that he would know why she’d come, telling herself that it was guilt that was making her nervous.
“This is certainly wonderful service. I only just arrived.”
“I know,” he said softly, then looked her straight in the eyes. “I was waiting for you.”
Ally’s lips parted in shock. But only a little and only for a brief moment. As she followed him up the steps and into the hotel, she couldn’t shake the notion that he wasn’t the only one who’d been waiting. She had a desperate feeling that she’d been waiting for him, too—all of her life.
Oh fine, she thought. Now is not the time for my stifled hormones to kick in. Just because he’s sexy, and good-looking, and I’m supposed to talk this man into something he doesn’t want to do, doesn’t mean I have to complicate this more than it already is.
They reached the registration desk. Before she could speak, he was bypassing it and leading her toward the elevators.
“You’re already checked in,” he said. “Follow me. I’ll show you to your room.”
The doors opened and they stepped inside. She watched as he stuck a key into a slot and gave it a turn. Immediately the elevator car started to ascend. She grabbed on to the railing to steady herself, then noted that they had bypassed the fourth floor.
“I thought this hotel only had four floors. Where are we going? Heaven?”
For the first time since her arrival he looked at her and grinned and her heart dropped right to her toes. Oh lordy. I am so out of my league.
“No, but some people tend to think the view might be similar,” he said. “There’s a penthouse suite on the ocean side of the hotel that’s not visible from the front entrance. It’s reserved for special guests such as yourself.”
“Oh,” she said, and then looked down at her feet so that he might not see the remorse she was feeling. He was being nice to her because he thought she was over the edge. Slipping. Burned-out. All the adjectives one might use to describe a SPEAR operative on the verge of a breakdown.
He looked at her then, reading her sudden silence as having been reminded of something terrible that must have happened to her on the job and remembered that when SPEAR operatives were ever sent here, it was usually for mental healing.
“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
“No, it wasn’t that,” she began, but the car had stopped and the doors were opening and Easton Kirby was already on the move. She followed, kicking herself for not knowing how to draw men into casual conversation.
They exited into what appeared to be a large foyer. East punched in a series of numbers on the security panel beside the door and then turned the knob.
“Your home away from home,” he said, leading the way inside. “I hope your stay will be comfortable.” He set her suitcase down in the bedroom, then handed her the key and a card. “The security code is written on the back. My number is on the front. If you need anything at any time of the night or day, all you have to do is call me.”
She took the key and the card and slipped them into her pocket. “Thank you, Mr. Kirby.”
“You’re welcome, Ms. Corbin, and please…call me East.”
“If you’ll call me Ally, it’s a deal,” she said, offering her hand.
When he took it, she felt as if she’d been treading water all of her life and someone had just offered her a line to safety. This womanly, helpless feeling was so foreign to Ally that she didn’t know how to react.
“Well then,” she said, quickly releasing his hold. “Now that we’re supposed to be friends, does this mean I don’t have to tip you?”
East threw back his head and laughed. A deep-from-the-belly kind of laugh that sent shivers up Ally’s spine. She grinned, pleased that she’d gotten some sort of positive response from him.
Still chuckling, East shook his head. “No, you don’t have to tip me and we start serving dinner around seven. The restaurant stays open until midnight so remember, if you need anything…”
“Yes, I know,” she said, patting her pocket where she’d put his card. “I’ll use Ma Bell to reach out and touch.”
His smile stilled as he gave her a dark, unreadable look.
“Touching is good,” he said quietly, and headed for the door, leaving Ally to put her own interpretation on what he’d just said.
A shudder racked her as she watched him leave. What on earth had she gotten herself into? Then she gritted her teeth and headed for her suitcase. The least she could do was unpack. There were a good four hours of daylight left and a beach to explore.
Something told her that this operation was going to take time. Easton Kirby didn’t strike her as malleable. As she went to the closet with an armful of clothes, she couldn’t help wondering why Jonah hadn’t just ordered this man back to active service. What sort of scenario could possibly have occurred that Jonah would allow a man’s personal life to interfere with his duty?
As East was dressing for dinner, he caught himself thinking of Ally Corbin again. It wasn’t the first time it had happened since her arrival, and something told him it wouldn’t be the last. There was something about her that intrigued him. She was such a mixture of contradictions. Naive, yet tough. He knew what it took to become an agent for SPEAR, so he respected that her skills equaled his own. Yet there was an innocence about her that surprised him. He had no way of knowing that naivete came in not knowing herself. She was beyond book smart, but she didn’t have the vaguest idea of how to live a normal life. She’d never been in love, she’d never even made love. Had he known, it might have changed his attitude completely. But all he saw was a beautiful and intriguing young woman who had endured and survived, and was here to heal.
He debated with himself about wearing a tie, then decided against it, opting for the casual look. For some reason, his mind slipped to Jonah, wondering if he’d found someone else to help him out. It had been a week since he’d gotten the call, and he hadn’t slept well one night since. Then he reminded himself that was part of his past and he couldn’t let it matter.
With a last glance in the mirror, he grabbed his sport coat and exited his apartment. It was time to make an appearance in the dining room.
The Condor Resort ran on schedules, not unlike those of a cruise ship, and sitting at the captain’s table, or in this case the manager’s, was considered an honor. It was something the previous manager had instigated and East had simply followed suit. Tonight he was actually looking forward to the event because he’d sent a note to Ally’s room earlier with an invitation for her to join him. There was nothing personal about it. It wasn’t as if she’d be the only one there. There would be six others, not counting himself, and a good reason for her not to eat alone. If she was as troubled as he’d been when he came, he knew she would need to focus on something besides herself. And there was no better way to achieve that than to sit at a dinner table with six perfect strangers—seven counting him—and remember that there was a world outside the realm of SPEAR.
He told himself he was just doing his job. And he believed it, all the way to the dining room and right up to the point when Ally entered the room.