Copyright © 2011, Fiona McGier
Published by Whiskey Creek Press LLC

Reviews For Secret Love by Fiona McGier

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Even in a room filled with as many attractive people as this one was, the tall redhead still turned heads when she walked in. The establishment was one of those quaint old-fashioned pubs that could be found anywhere within the European Union, but this one happened to be in Berlin. The bar itself was massive, made of wood that had aged as well as the wines served by the attentive waitstaff. There were small tables scattered around the bar, with two to four comfortable plush chairs at each one. This was definitely a place designed for relaxing…and there were many very good-looking people taking advantage of that.

The ages of the customers ranged from barely old enough to be drinking legally, to white-haired men and women whose aged countenances held eyes that bespoke of their wisdom. All of the people, including those who worked there, were in good shape and healthy-looking…in fact, it almost looked like the set for a commercial advertising how happy one would be if they took their next vacation in Europe. There were so many attractive people here that whether one was looking for men or women, or both, they’d be sure to find what they were seeking in this place.

The only problem was the bouncer at the front door, who was busy carefully checking out each prospective customer. His scrutiny was more intense than usual, but once a person was allowed entry, he had to answer for their behavior. So he was as thorough as he needed to be, and he was very good at his job. The regulars knew that and trusted his judgment. New people were regarded with passing interest; most were quickly ignored.

But the redhead was obviously not a new customer. In fact, she didn’t even enter the bar through the front door. Instead, she strode purposefully in from the back hallway, where regulars knew they could find the bathrooms. Only a very few knew there was also an elevator back there, leading up to elaborately furnished apartments meant for short-term stays.

The fact that she’d entered the bar from that hallway meant very few knew to look away after an initial appraisal of her stunning attributes. Others spent longer admiring her without being aware of any inherent danger. For there was much to admire.

The woman was taller than most, at close to six feet, wearing a simple black sheath—a little black dress—showing off her shapely build that was the envy of other women around the world. She knew this because she’d traveled to many places over the years, and felt comfortable no matter where she found herself. But she always got the same reaction from people when she entered a new place, and she was used to it, if slightly irritated that even here, she had to deal with it.

She glanced around the pub with sage-green eyes not quite as wise as those of the white-haired folks she made eye contact with, but which nonetheless held a warning implicit in them.

You leave me alone, I'll leave you alone. We'll all be happy and sleep well tonight.

As she approached the bar, she tossed her long auburn hair with a slight jerk of her head. Her action caused one of the bartenders to intercept another who was heading in her direction, indicating that he was going to wait on her.

“ Hi, Harry,” she said once he was close to her.

She sat on one of the few empty barstools and turned it slightly so that she was facing the door, with her back to the hallway she’d come from.

Harry put a cocktail napkin in front of her, saying pleasantly, “The usual?”

She nodded. He turned, made her drink, then slid it in front of her.

“ Add it to the room tab,” she instructed.

He picked up a glass to wash and dry it as he spoke to her.

“ Got in last night?”

She gave him a wry smile.

“ Yeah, late…very late. You know, time changes and all—wreaks hell on your system.”

He nodded.

“ I remember. Staying long?”

She shrugged elaborately.

“ Who knows? Certainly not me. Ours not to reason why, etcetera.”

They exchanged a smile filled with mutual understanding.

“ Interesting mix of customers tonight,” she opined. “Anyone I should know about?”

Harry shook his head.

“ Nah…just the usual. Some active, some not. Most oblivious.”

They smiled at each other for another instant. Then Harry got a signal from one of the other drinkers seated at the bar and with a curt nod to the woman, he walked away to do his job.

She looked around with interest, studying the other customers carefully. Some of the men looked up, then quickly back down when they realized she was examining them. Others smiled broadly and seemed to be getting ready to rise when she almost imperceptibly shook her head, and disappointed, they settled back in their chairs knowing they’d been judged and found lacking. A few of the women boldly returned her glance and she shook her head at them, too.

With a sigh, Sheena took a sip from her drink, and looked around the bar again quickly, searching for, What? A way out of my bad mood? How about a man? A new one; one to take her mind off of what was becoming an increasingly hard life to live. She very rarely got any time off from her work, and having at least a few days now with no new assignment yet gave her the opportunity to indulge her own desires. So what did she really want?

Truth be told, she wanted out, but that wasn’t possible. No one was allowed out until they had fulfilled the term length of their contract. Too much training involved. Once agents were considered useful they were thrown out into the field, and what they didn’t know they learned by the seat of their pants, or they died…only to be replaced by another just as green as they had been. Since the risk factor was so high, any agent who’d been useful for as long as she had been, twelve years now, was much more valuable than any new recruit. So since her original contract had been for fifteen years, she had another couple of years to go before she could petition for a release from the lifestyle she was viewing as increasingly tedious and restrictive.

She hadn’t always felt this way. When she was twenty-three and a new college graduate, with a double major in History and International Relations, and a double minor in Spanish and Russian, the idea of becoming an agent for the United States government had been a very attractive offer. She’d been recruited by a scout from an agency so secret that she hadn’t even been told the name until she’d been active with them for more than a year. Her graduating with honors signaled her intelligence which, along with her majors and her facility for languages, were the reasons she was such an attractive candidate.

That they had sent a man so breathtakingly, drop-dead gorgeous to check out her interest was a stroke of genius. Her double majors and minors had left very little time for boyfriends, so little Miss Sheena had been putty in this sophisticated man’s hands. While she knew, rationally, that he was interested in her for her abilities and as a new recruit, her body had been ignored for so long that she’d have followed him anywhere, to the ends of the earth, just to keep him in her bed. Their love affair had been short, lasting only until she signed the paperwork binding her to the unknown agency for the next fifteen years. But instead of feeling bereft once he was gone, she reveled in the new power she felt over her own abilities, and welcomed the new challenges in her life.

Sheena had always been smarter than most people around her. But what had been a liability in her early years was now a gift she was thankful for every day. Her college years had presented her with the first real academic challenges of her life. Once she’d graduated she had been anxious to find something new to occupy her formidable mind. She had little patience for people who didn’t want to learn and other than becoming a perpetual academic endlessly pursuing advanced degrees, she really didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life.

Teaching was out of the question. Too many students would be like those she’d sat in classes with—bored, uninterested in learning, and just putting in time until they could graduate, then get back to working for the money to be able to afford their expensive toys. The idea of doing anything for other people, or of thinking of a big picture and not the immediate was beyond most of them. She was afraid that if she became a professor she’d never get tenure, because she would spend all of her time badgering the students who had no real interest in learning, just in earning.

So the offer to join a tiny, elite group of people who had influence on global events because the things they did, while secret, affected what happened all over the planet, was a dream come true for her! And the innate arrogance of the man who’d recruited her wasn’t a turn-off for her.

Wasn’t I just as arrogant?

A sudden intake of breath from the woman to her right interrupted her reverie and Sheena focused on the present, listening to what her neighbor was saying to her friend.

“ Mon dieu, can it really be him?”

“ Oui,” the friend answered. “I read that he is in Berlin for a film, doing some scenes that have required street closings around some parts of the city. Hadn’t you noticed?”

“ Non, but I am noticing him now!”

Wondering just who had walked in, causing such open drooling from the somewhat jaded yet sophisticated crowd frequenting the local safe house bar, Sheena turned to see if it was a celebrity she’d already managed to have a liaison with, or a new one. She didn’t get much time off, but she made it a priority to be sure there were many attractive men around wherever she chose to spend her off time.

Since she’d become a master at disguising, she could change her appearance so completely there was no danger anyone would recognize her unless she wanted them to. So she had felt free to sample interesting men the world over, and she still saw her ability to only have a short-term, quickie relationship with anyone she wanted as a perk and not a liability. To quote from an old pop song, she worked hard for her money, and she allowed herself to play just as hard between assignments.

It didn’t take long to see just who it was the women were talking about. He was much more attractive in real life than he was in movies. Not that Sheena had much time or use for movies, but she did live on the planet Earth, and he’d been in a couple of big releases that had made him internationally famous.

He was tall and dark, his skin a reddish-brown color that bespoke of his Native American ancestry. He filled out his clothing well; the rolled-up sleeves on his casual jacket showed muscular forearms hinting at even more toned muscles hidden by his shirt. His broad shoulders made Sheena drool, as she imagined herself held down by those strong arms. He had fairly long straight black hair that shimmered like black silk whenever he turned his head. His eyes were dark and inquisitive as he scanned the place for a seat.

She could feel herself growing warm and moist as she watched him walking over to the bar. She knew he was having that same effect on most of the women, and on quite a few of the men as well.

Well now, if you aren’t the answer to my current dilemma? Getting you into my bed tonight would be a real coup! You don’t have the reputation of being a player, and there’ll be lots of competition, trying to get to you first! I just love a real challenge!

At that moment he finished ordering his drink and looked around the bar. He met her gaze and there was a glint of interest, then what appeared to be a challenge from him.

Sheena felt herself getting even more interested. Okay, then, the game’s afoot!

It seemed odd for someone so famous to be unaccompanied by security of any kind, but a quick glance at the door told her his guards were there, being detained because of the weapons they were trying to enter the place with. After all, what was the point of a safe house for agents, neutral ground for everyone to feel secure on, if anyone, especially amateur muscle, could just stroll in with major weaponry? And of course since his security men weren’t agents, just hired guards, they had no idea what some of the people in the bar might be capable of.

Sheena chuckled to herself thinking about what the few she recognized, and she herself, were able to do to someone with their bare hands—no weapons required!

In the meantime, the adorable American actor was being set upon by would-be suitors, almost like jackals on a dead thing. They circled him, making their moves with all of the subtlety of a sledge hammer. For his part he was gracious, but firm; he declined everyone’s offer and asked just for some privacy.

Eventually his guards were able to move in to sit close enough to scare away the civilians. The only other real challenge to her getting through to the object of her interest was a German agent she recognized from an assignment a couple of years ago when she’d worked with him. Since the actor wasn’t known for being gay, she figured that meant she had a clear shot at him. She spent a minute figuring out how to approach him.

When she looked over at him again, she was surprised and amused to find that he was watching her almost expectantly.

Hello, Mr. Gorgeous! You are almost making it too easy! The direct approach it is then!

She got up and walked toward the back of the bar, as if she was heading to where the restrooms were located. At the last minute she ducked past the security guys and walked directly up to him. He’d been watching her walk, with a small smile playing around his lips…those kissable-looking lips.

She quickly closed the distance between them then pulled his head down and kissed him. Since he was sitting on the stool and she was standing, they were about the same height. He tasted good, like the beer he’d been drinking, a touch of garlic, and a very sexy man.

When she drew back he had a surprised look on his face. She felt the animosity being directed toward her from the guards behind her, but he looked at them over her shoulder and shook his head. Instantly the hostility level lessened and the part of her that had begun to tense in reflex-anticipation was allowed to quiet down.

“ Not much of a conversationalist, are you?” he teased in a low, sexy voice. “Not one to bother with pick-up lines, or even so much as a by your leave, before you make your move?”

She smiled at him, tossing her long red hair back.

“ I was just on my way to the ladies room. And I noticed you watching me. So I figured I’d answer the question for both of us.”

“ What question is that?”

“ What you taste like,” she purred at him.

The heat playing back and forth between them was making her sweat with anticipation. Her nipples had puckered to rock-like hardness, and she was glad she had a bra on to stop them from tearing through her dress. Warmth was beginning to spread through her abdomen, and her inner thighs already had a heightened sensitivity, making her lace thong feel maddeningly restrictive.

“ Can I guess what the second question is?” he asked, while his hand raised goose bumps along her skin, trailing a path from her neck down her arm, ending with her hand. He raised her hand to his lips, gently kissing the back of her knuckles, and smiled at her.

When she nodded, he said, “Can I have some more?”

She gave him a very serious look. “That depends.”

“ On what?”

“ Why don’t you let me finish my trip to the bathroom, then we can talk about that when I get back?” she said with a smile, licking her lips.

“ What can I get for you to drink?” he asked.

“ Just tell the bartender it’s for me and he’ll know,” she answered.

“ But what’s your name? Who do I say it’s for?”

She thought for a moment, before replying.

“ Lenora.”

She hadn’t used that one for a long time and had always liked the musical sound of it. Over his shoulder she saw Harry nod at her, almost imperceptibly. She turned and walked to the restrooms at the back of the building.

She didn’t take long in there; just long enough to give him time to order her a drink, and to begin to wonder when she would be back. She didn’t apply any more lipstick, since she intended on doing a lot more kissing of those full, warm lips.

When she got near to him this time she felt open hostility directed toward her from the musclemen seated around him. Laughing to herself at how easily she could defeat all of them, using no weapons at all, and how surprised they’d all be if she did, she walked right past them over to l’homme de nuit, her chosen man for the night.

“ I was beginning to think you weren’t coming back,” he said.

His gaze traveled all over her. He took in her long reddish-gold hair—Yes, that’s the color I did it today—her dimpled smiling face, courtesy of her Celtic ancestors, and her athletically-toned yet curvaceous figure, wrapped in a simple sheath in the European manner. She looked like she belonged here in a bar in Germany, and not in a tavern in Des Moines, Iowa, where she’d actually grown up. His stare lingered on her cleavage for so long that he was actually blushing when he finally met her eyes.

“ And miss the chance to find out if there’s going to be a chance for us to sample each other some more?”

She slid onto the stool next to him, and snaked her hand up and under his jacket, to automatically check for a weapons belt, as well as to be able to get her hands on him right away.

“ Is there going to be?” he asked in a husky voice, obviously affected by her touch as much as she was affected by his.

“ Shouldn’t we get better acquainted first?” she gave him an arch look, and raised eyebrows. “Like, what’s your name?”

He laughed heartily.

“ You must be joking! Doesn’t everyone in here know who I am? I thought that’s why you came over.”

She looked him in the eye.

“ Well, I know you’re an American movie star, so that makes you somewhat of a celebrity, even here in Europe. But we don’t get as excited as Americans do over that. We have real royalty over here, remember? And we don’t get too excited about them either!”

He smiled at her.

“ We? You’re not American then? Your accent’s hard to place—kind of formal generic English, but not anything that I recognize. Where are you from, beautiful Lenora?”

“ You still didn’t answer my question, Mister!”

With a toss of her hair she leaned closer to him, whispering in his ear, “How will I know what name to scream later, when we’re tasting each other some more?”

He shifted around in his seat since her hand had moved down to his thigh, and the bulge in his pants was beginning to twitch.

“ Hickory Woods,” he said, grabbing her hand and bringing it up for another kiss on her knuckles. “And it won’t be later, but right here and now if you don’t stop doing that!”

“ Why, Mr. Woods, has it been that long for you? Or are you always on such a hair trigger?”

She batted her eyes at him, and thoroughly enjoying playing with such a gorgeous man. The longer they toyed with each other now, the more anticipation would build. She fervently hoped he’d be worth the anticipation. So many men weren’t, and she was so not in the mood for disappointment.

“ You can call me Cory,” he said after taking another drink, “And I won’t even ask you what your last name is. I don’t really care. But if you didn’t approach me because of who I am, why are you here?”

“ Because you looked at me from across the room, with an invitation in your eyes. Because I was sitting at the bar, wondering how I was going to fill my time for the next few days while I’m on vacation. And because you’re one of the best-looking men I’ve ever seen, and the idea of seeing what’s under your clothes is making me so excited I’m almost sliding off of my chair!”

With that she leaned over to kiss him again, and this time he groaned. He had one hand on her face; the other one started out on her shoulder, moving lower, making her arm tingle again. Lightly he brushed his hand on her breast, and she felt herself growing so wet that she had to force herself to remember to breathe.

“ Well, you’re right, beautiful Lenora,” he panted while he rested his forehead on hers. “It has been a very long time for me. But once I saw you, I decided it’s time for my self-enforced celibacy to end. So where can we go? My hotel’s a few blocks away. I was told that this was the kind of bar that even famous people could come into and be treated like everyone else. But no one warned me about you!”

Finding it hard to think, Lenora wondered if it would be safe to take him upstairs. She felt his hands now moving on her, and realized that at this particular moment she didn’t care any more. She had to have this man in her bed, and soon. And her apartment was the closest and safest place to do that.

“ I’m staying in a company apartment, right upstairs,” she told him, “so all we have to do is lose your musclemen, and we can head up there.”

“ Give me a moment to do that, while I still have enough blood in my brain to remember how to talk,” he said, moving off of his barstool to walk over to what appeared to be the head of his security detail.

Sheena didn’t even bother to hide her desire as she watched his well-shaped body move. He was taller than she’d imagined, and had an athlete’s build with muscles rippling visibly even under his clothes.

His head of security was very unhappy with what he was being told, and she heard words like high-class hooker, and thief being thrown around, but she also heard Cory asserting his client privileges, threatening to find other security guys if these ones didn’t want the job anymore.

She finished her drink while watching them argue. Harry leaned over the bar, wiping the surface with a towel, while he spoke in a low voice.

“ He’d better be worth it, girl. You know upstairs guests are supposed to be vetted ahead of time. He’s not the only one taking a huge risk here.”

She smiled tightly at Harry.

“ I know what I’m doing. I’m not worried.”

“ I hope you’re right,” he said, moving away as Cory turned back to her.

“ So?” she asked him.

She was struck anew by just how good-looking he was as he walked back to her. His straight, black hair was longer than most men wore it these days, and his skin was a bronze color…she remembered reading somewhere that his father was a Native American, and his mother was an heiress. His eyes were so dark they were almost black, and he carried himself as if he expected to get his way. She respected that in a man. Not that she wanted to be ordered around, but it was always more fun to get men like that so aroused that they were willing to do anything she might desire; they were more of a challenge when they were so confident to begin with.

For his answer he pulled her up to stand on the ledge of her chair, and he wrapped one hand in her hair, to crush her lips in a kiss that forced a response out of her, her mouth opening to duel with his tongue, her breath racing…her heart pounding. His other hand was busy learning all of the intricacies of her curves, finally resting on her lower back, to press her closer to his erection, which held great promise for the rest of the night.

She gasped, when he freed her mouth to allow them both to breathe.

“ Let’s get upstairs now!”

She stepped off the chair, grabbed his hand and led him out of the bar to a dimly lit hallway beyond the restrooms. At the end of it was a dark alcove holding a single elevator door. She pressed a button to call the elevator before pushing him against the wall, kissing him urgently while she pressed her thumb onto a tiny drawer that had slid out of the elevator call panel. She did this behind his back, so he wouldn’t notice the extra security required to get upstairs.

Once the elevator door opened, she acted as if she was having trouble reading the buttons for the floors and bent over, wriggling her butt to get his attention. As she’d hoped, he grasped her waist and pressed himself firmly against her, while he used one hand to fondle her breast, and kissed the back of her neck. Since he was so busy, she figured he wouldn’t notice the retina scan she was having done. Once she pushed the button for her floor she turned to face him and they spent the few minutes waiting for the elevator to stop moving, groping each other. She unbuttoned his shirt to allow her to press her face against the black hair on his chest and inhale deeply. Just as she began to lick one of his nipples, the door slid open.

She led him out by pulling on his front shirttails, and he trailed behind her to one of the four apartments on the floor. Using her sonic key, she opened the door.

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