Free Agent in Training by Jerri Drennen Page A

“Did you imagine that man?” Somehow she didn’t think so. She sensed this imaginary guy was the same one who had torn up her apartment—the same one who’d sent the pictures.
    But who was he? And why did he have it in for her and her father?
    Shiloh dropped into the chair next to his bed and closed her eyes. Her life was such a mess. And to add to it, she’d almost slept with a man she could hardly stand to be in the same room with. Not to mention the fact that he was a subordinate and it was against regulations, and to add a cherry to the top of the calamity, he was way too young.
    Though his hands and mouth hadn’t felt immature or restrictive in any way as they’d worked their magic on her body. The heat of his fingers inside her still had that part of her body yearning for more. His mouth, sucking at her breast was burned into her memory.
    Nicholas definitely knew how to please a woman. She’d never experienced such overwhelming desire. Nothing like the almost ho-hum feelings she’d had with men before. A minute or two more in his expert hands and she would have had an amazing orgasm—no question about it. He’d had her so close to ecstasy she hadn’t even heard her phone at first, and even then she hadn’t wanted to stop… until her father’s face flashed in her mind, like a beacon in a storm. The image had been like a bucket of ice water pelting her system, instantly squelching any passion. Thank God !
    What was she going to say to Nicholas the next time she saw him? Would he treat her differently? Would he expect to continue where they’d left off?
    She sighed. The stress of the day left her completely exhausted.
    Why had she allowed her body to overrule her common sense? Clearly, desire was a strong force, but it had been foolish to get sexually involved with Nicholas Trent. Now she was going to have to tell him it had all been a big mistake and could never happen again. Blame it on the alcohol, or a momentary weakness on her part. She trusted he’d understand, and not cause a problem. She had enough to deal with right now without moving him higher on the list.
     
    Nick closed the folder on his desk and rubbed his eyes. He rose to put the file into the cabinet. He was sick of paperwork. Would he ever get assigned a real case again?
    “Hey Trent, you hear the one about the blond surfer-boy and the Ice Princess?” Gary Freeman leaned against his desk, arms crossed over his chest, a stupid grin playing on his lips.
    Nick scowled. “No. You trying to get at something, Freeman?”
    “What would I be trying to get at? But now that you mention it, a friend over at the Washington Police Department said you were at the director’s apartment the night she had that break-in. What’s going on? Are you Templar’s boy-toy now?”
    Nick’s stomach knotted, and he fought to keep his temper in check. All he needed on his record was an altercation with another agent.
    Freeman continued. “There’s nothing wrong with getting a little inside action, mind you. After all, she does have a nice rack.”
    “You’re a creep, Freeman. Don’t you have a hole you could go crawl into?”
    “No, but apparently you do. How is it, anyway? Is the director as hard-assed in bed as she is everywhere else? Do you jump and pump when she tells you to?”
    “Go to hell, asshole.” Nick had to escape before he pounded this guy’s head into the ground.
    He stalked out of the office and stormed to the elevator, fuming. He slammed his palm on the down button and the doors instantly opened. He couldn’t believe Freeman would have the balls to come straight out and say what he did. Boy-toy? Yeah, right.
    Instead of the elevator going straight down as expected, it went up and stopped on the eighth floor. The doors slid open and Shiloh stepped inside, her eyes on the brochure in her hand. When she looked up and saw him, her face paled.
    “Director,” he acknowledged, though he really hadn’t wanted to. He’d been trying to