Next,
I'd like to revisit another of my favorites. Okay, to be honest, I
love all my books, just some more than others. I'm very fond of the
main character in this one, Jason Banes.
Jason
Banes is a thief, he readily admits that, but he's quick to deny that
he's also a murderer. Accused of multiple homicides, and theft, he
agrees to help a multi-national task force find the real killer. When
he's assigned to an FBI team for protection, he meets Agent Taylor
Driscole. It's a race to find Orchid before she kills again. Though
she's reluctant to use Jason's skills, Agent Driscole realizes that
sometimes, It Takes a Thief
to catch a murderer.
"You've
got good instincts on the mat, kid," Tim Stuart complimented.
As
the most experienced martial artist on the team, he'd taken on the
role of Sensei. He was a good, patient instructor. Jason had learned
a lot in the last half hour, not the least of which was how hard
Taylor Driscole could kick. He was still limping.
"Falling
down is the most important point," Tim continued. "Learn to
fall, you can always get back up. Fall wrong, it's all over."
They
practiced knocking one another down for awhile. Greg was paired with
Alex Graves, leaving Jason with Taylor. It was ideal for size, but
not for desire. Every time they grappled one another, Jason's body
reacted automatically. It was getting more difficult to control the
manly urges.
"This
time, come at her from behind," Tim told Jason. "Grab her
around the neck and pretend you have a knife. You right or left
handed?"
"Ambidextrous."
"Advantageous.
Pick a hand. Taylor, be gentle."
Jason
didn't like the look on her face as she turned her back on him and
closed her eyes. He took a deep breath before running up to grab her.
He held his left hand in a fist as if he held a knife. Grabbing her
to him from behind, he accidentally got a handful of very tasty
breast. She smelled fantastic and her hair tickled his nose as he
held her close.
Taylor
stiffened. She could feel Jason's muscular body pressed close, his
firm manhood just above the crest of her hips. Forcing herself to
react to an attacker, she elbowed his gut and twisted the imaginary
knife out of his hand. She hit him harder than she'd intended. Jason
collapsed on the mat, gasping for air, eyes watering as he struggled
for breath. His dry lips sipped oxygen raggedly.
"You
trying to kill him, Tay-tay?" Greg asked as he gave Jason a hand
up.
Jason
stood slowly, doubled over, hands on his knees, as his lungs tried to
find enough room to expand in his sore rib cage.
"Do
you want to see Spence?" Alex asked solicitously.
Jason
shook his head. Tim supported him, helping him walk to a nearby
bench.
"I
said disarm him, Driscole. Not kill him."
Taylor
said nothing. She'd overreacted and she knew it. The desire she felt
warred with her training, causing major conflict. She tossed a clean
towel at Jason, spun on her heel and headed to the dressing room in
tears. Greg quickly followed her.
"Something
me and the boys need to know about?" Tim asked gravely.
Jason
shook his head. Alex handed him a bottle of water.
"Something's
not going on?" Tim pressed.
"We've
got some personal—challenges—if you will." He was
embarrassed to admit his attraction. "I don't want to get the
lady in trouble, lads."
"We're
close," Alex said. "Tay's like a sister. We'd never rat her
out. But you're feeling something even more personal. Am I right?"
"Oh,
yeah," Jason replied. "I'd love to say it's just because of
my incarceration, but it's not."
"You
need a woman, friend." Alex clapped him on the shoulder.
"Yeah,
but not just any woman. That's the problem. Until today, anyone with
the right anatomy would have been great."
"But
not now," Tim supplied.
Jason
said nothing, just sipped his water.
"I
wish I had some advice for you, kid. You can't hardly tap that. It's
more than our jobs are all worth," Alex said, staring at the
door Taylor had walked through.
"Your
jobs—my life," Jason replied.
©
2016 Dellani Oakes
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