Andrea Kane - The Line Between Here and Now

“Ah, Gecko.” Casey grinned. “I was wondering when you might use him.”

“The little critter” as Ryan affectionately dubbed him-or “Gecko” to the rest of the team-was one of Ryan’s most prized robotic creations. It looked a little odd, but what it lacked in appearance, it made up for in versatility and talent.

Gecko had suction-cup-like attachments on his feet and was small enough-not quite the size of a paperback book-and technologically sophisticated enough to walk up walls and inside ductwork. It sported miniature video cameras and microphones, and Ryan could manipulate it in any one of a dozen ways, including around corners.

All he had to do was get access to Morano’s office and plant Gecko in an air duct or drop ceiling, then watch and listen from his laptop.

Breaking into an old, one-story wooden dump would be a piece of cake for Marc. He and Ryan would drive to Morano’s place at night, Ryan would park the van a safe distance away, and Marc would do his thing. After that, they’d have front row seats to Morano, any visitors he might entertain and any phone calls he decided to make.

It was the perfect idea.

“We’ll go late tonight,” Marc said as if reading Ryan’s mind. “Another road trip. I feel like I’m on autopilot to the Hamptons.”

“I’ll drive,” Ryan said. “And we’ll stay over at Amanda’s. That way, we can make one more trip to Morano’s office in the morning. We’ll slap a GPS tracking device under his car. Then we’ll know where he is at all times. The guy’s entire life will be an open book.” Ryan glanced at Casey. “That okay, boss? You’re going to be busy anyway.”

Casey shot him a look. “And you know this how?”

Ryan jerked his thumb upward. “You’ve got a guest crashing on your bed. He got in early and tired. But he promised to be refreshed by dinner. So my guess is you’ll be occupied all night. It’s been how long since the two of you saw each other?”

“Careful, Ryan.” Casey’s tone was firm, but her lips twitched. “Keep heading in this direction and I’ll start spewing what I know about your love life. And it’s a lot more interesting than mine. Not to mention the secret crush you have…”

“Okay, okay,” Ryan interrupted. “My mouth is shut.”

“Now that’s a first,” Claire commented, looking and sounding a bit thrown by Casey’s comment. It had clearly never occurred to her that the team was aware of the whatever-it-was that hovered beneath the sharp banter between her and Ryan. She wasn’t even ready to analyze it herself. “I’ve never seen you at a loss for words.”

“I never am.” Ryan shot her a lazy grin. “I just know when it’s time to talk and when it’s not.”

Claire flushed, quickly changing the subject. “What’s happening at Patrick’s end?”

“He called in a while ago,” Ryan replied, visibly enjoying watching Claire squirm. “He’s seeing what he can do about figuring out who’s following us. Then he’s going home to spend some time with his wife. He’s barely seen her since we took on this case.”

“I think we can all use a few hours off,” Claire said with a meaningful look at Ryan and Marc. “Let’s grab something to eat. Then you two can catch some rest before you head back to the Hamptons, and I can go home and do some yoga. Some of my best insights come to me during that time.”

“We could order in, if you want,” Ryan suggested. “Hero can’t go into restaurants.”

“No. We can’t order in.” Claire’s tone and look were so pointed this time that Ryan would have had to be dead not to notice them. “Hero’s exhausted from his day. See? He’s already sleeping on his favorite blanket. I doubt he’ll even venture upstairs.”

“Oh. Gotcha.” A quick glance at Casey. “We’ll catch you later.”

Casey was trying hard not to laugh. “For a team of very discreet investigators, you were about as subtle as the Keystone Cops. But thanks. I appreciate the privacy.”

Hutch had a towel wrapped around his waist and was briskly drying his hair with another when Casey walked into her bedroom.

“Wow,” she said, leaning against the wall. “Is this an early Christmas present?”

He looked up, tossing the towel he was holding aside and giving her that lazy, crooked smile that got to her every time. “It’s just the gift wrap. Wanna see what’s inside?”

“Sure.” She crossed over to him, unknotting the towel from around his waist and letting it drop to the floor. “Very nice,” she murmured, gliding her hands up his chest to wrap her arms around his neck. “You have excellent taste in gifts. How did you know what I wanted?”

“I guessed.” Hutch stopped talking. He lifted Casey up and pressed her flush against him. His mouth crushed down on hers and she wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him back with the same heated intensity.

They toppled onto the bed, and he had her naked and under him in record time.

It was always the same. The first time was frantic, filled with the built-up sexual tension of being apart for weeks, sometimes months. Long, drawn-out lovemaking would come later, but right now, it was a wild rush for completion.

Casey tried to delay her climax, but she couldn’t. It boiled up inside her the minute Hutch penetrated her body, and by his second thrust, she was crying out, arching to take him deep inside her as her spasms pulsed around him. Hutch didn’t even try to fight the inevitable. He just let go, his fists making deep impressions on the pillow as he poured himself into her, throwing back his head and giving a guttural shout.

The silence in the room was punctuated by their shallow, ragged breaths as Hutch blanketed Casey’s body with his. A semblance of sanity returned-slowly, in increments-not that either of them cared.

“I hope I’m not crushing you, because I don’t think I can move,” Hutch murmured into her hair.

“You’re not.” Casey wrapped her arms around his back, her legs too shaky to follow suit. She turned her face into his neck and kissed him. “By the way, I missed you.”

“Yeah, I could tell. As for me, I’ve been taking cold showers for the past two weeks. A month and a half is just too damned long.”

“I agree.” Casey gave a sated sigh. “Fair warning. I doubt I’m going to let you rest for any length of time.”

“I doubt I’ll need to.” Hutch propped himself on his elbows, scrutinizing her face. “You look gorgeous all flushed and naked.”

Casey smiled. “You’re pretty hot yourself.” She reached up, brushing his damp hair off his forehead. “I think I undid the positive effects of your shower.”

“Not a problem. I’ll take another one, this time with company.” Hutch kissed her, and what began as a slow, tender kiss soon turned into something more. He rolled onto his back, taking Casey with him, still buried inside her.

Casey pushed herself into a kneeling position, leaning back and deepening their joining, already feeling the familiar tingling of pleasure.

“Did you really want to go out for dinner?” she managed.

“No.” Hutch had clutched her hips and was moving her up and down in a motion that took their breath away. “Dinner is highly overrated.”

Casey was dead asleep when her cell phone rang.

She reached across Hutch and groped at her nightstand, until her hand made contact with her BlackBerry.

“Casey Woods,” she mumbled into the phone.

“Casey?” It was Amanda’s voice. And it sounded high and shaky.

Casey was instantly awake. Her first and only thought was Justin. “Amanda? What’s wrong?”

“I got a phone call,” Amanda said, on the verge of hysteria. “It was a man. His voice was…weird.”