Lawless by Cindy Stark

television, bright sun coming through the window.  The warm light
added hints of honey to her already sun-kissed brown hair and silhouetted her
figure from the side.  Her full breasts beckoned him like lush fruit, and he
ached to walk up behind her, kiss the curve of her neck while he slipped his
hands beneath her top and indulged in her bare flesh.
    He imagined her turning to him with a smile on
her face and a kiss on her lips that would send them barreling head first into
a fiery haze of passion.
    A man's voice on the TV mentioned her name and yanked
his attention back to the present.  She had the station turned to the damn news
channel again.  He draped his shirt over a chair.  "I wish you wouldn't
watch that.  It only makes things more difficult for you."  He strode
forward, intending to turn it off.  As he reached to take the remote, she put
her hand on his, stopping him.
    "Wait."  Her hand remained on his as
though to control him.
    The spark of desire he'd ignited a moment ago
with his thoughts jumped back to life at her touch.  The smell of spring lilacs
drifted from her hair or maybe her shoulders, and he leaned in closer to try to
decipher the inciting location.  He feasted on the sight of her while the
reporter kept her distracted.
    "Quinn," she murmured, and he glanced
at the annoying screen.
    The blond woman reporter interviewed an unknown
man dressed in a suit, but in the background Milo caught a glimpse of his good
buddy.
    "No, this is not a case of the U.S.
Marshals failing to do their job.  Miss Trasatti left protection of her own
accord.  We have never failed a client who followed procedures.  Regardless of
what happens to Miss Trasatti, the U.S. Marshals have done their job well."
    "What about the reports of a woman being
pulled from her car at the Chicago Airport and forced into a black sedan?  Eyewitness
accounts indicate it may be Ms. Trasatti."
    Ariana inhaled sharply.  "Kenzie will see
this."
    The Marshal's public information officer shook
his head.  "I've received no information on that incident.  That would be
a question for the Chicago Police Department."
    "The prosecution is still saying they can
produce her.  How can they do that if she's dead?"
    The PIO's eyes shifted to the side in an
awkward movement giving Milo the impression he was uncomfortable answering the
question.  "I think it's best we let the Chicago PD fully investigate this
crime before we start speculating.  At this time, we have no further
information to add."
    "Thank you for your comments, Mr. Carlson." 
The reporter turned to the camera.  "As you've heard—"
    Milo clicked off the TV.
    Ariana turned to him, anxiety creasing her brow. 
"My friend will be so worried."
    He knew exactly the road her thoughts had
traveled.  "Try not to think about it.  Your friend will be fine."
    "You don't understand.  She's already
mourning the death of her mother.  If she thinks she's lost me, too, it will
devastate her."
    "I'm sure she's smart enough to not
believe everything she hears on TV.  Television stations love to sensationalize
stories, and that story had no substance.  It's going to be okay."
    "It's not okay," she whispered.  "None
of this is okay."
    He took her by the shoulders.  "Look at me." 
When she finally focused on him, he mirrored her serious gaze.  "Things
will work out.  Sometimes doing the right thing can be tough, but you are doing
what you need to."
    She didn't respond other than the tears welling in
her eyes.  She bit down on her bottom lip, but he caught the tremble before she
fully sank her teeth into the soft flesh.  Every ounce of his reserve crumbled
like the rock barriers he'd encountered while fighting halfway across the
world.
    "Ah, hell."  He pulled her against his
bare chest, folding her in a protective embrace.  She laid her head against
him, a shuddering sigh escaping her.  She slid her hands around his waist and
clung to him in a way that tugged at his heart.  It was