Page 49 of Liaising Kai

Davis smiled back. “That’s a given. That woman was born with attitude.”

Kai rose and started to clean. Davis helped her. She ran the water in the sink while he continued to clear the rest of the dishes.

As she rinsed the dishes, pots, and pan he used for preparation, he wrapped his arms around her from behind. Experiencing a heady rush from the way she pressed her body into him, he closed his eyes, his pulse accelerating. He peered over her shoulder as she continued the task, until he reached out and snagged one of her hands. “You have nice hands,” he said gruffly.

She inhaled softly, sliding her wet palm against his. He took a deep breath and kissed her fingertips, and Kai turned into his shoulder. Heartened by the intensity of her reaction, he laced his fingers through hers, needing time to get himself together.

“Why don’t you get ready for bed,” he said softly, knowing that neither one of them had much more energy left to deal with anything more tonight. After a fresh night’s sleep, they would be hitting the ground running. That shipment was coming in tomorrow, and they were going to make sure it didn’t complete its journey to the street.

She nodded, wiped her hands on the towel by the sink, and he finished up the last of the clean-up, then started the dishwasher.

When he entered the room, she was already in bed. He went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and relieved himself. Shucking off his clothes, he slipped into bed next to her.

She immediately turned into his arms, and he was thankful to have her smooth, supple body pressed against his. He’d discovered over his relationship with Kai that admitting to himself that there were issues between them they had to overcome set him on this path to being the man she wanted in her life. It was painful connecting with messy emotions, but it was imperative to face them. The act of taking them head-on tended to diffuse them. He embraced differences of opinions, conflicts, and tension because going through all of that had definite value. Once that line was crossed, it would give him and the other person new insights and revelations that usually resolved the conflict.

Kai was going to come to her own conclusions, and once she did, they would pull past this situation and land in a different place in their relationship. A stronger, more grounded place. He was sure of it.

Neither of them spoke for several moments, content with gentle stroking and even gentler kisses.

Finally, Kai released a reluctant sigh, easing her upper body away from him. Kai smoothed her hands up the contours of his biceps, her voice husky as she whispered. “I think once all this is over, I’m going to need some time…alone.”

His voice quiet, he said, “I said I would be okay with whatever you needed to do. I’m still okay with it. You can’t be happy or fully commit to me until you work out your own stuff. I get it. I understand.”

Cupping his jaw, she stroked the curve of his cheekbone with her thumb. It was clear she was struggling with what to say.

“Again. You don’t have to say anything.” His fingers snagging in her hair, Davis pulled her head down, distracting her with a long, sensual kiss. “You’ll talk to me when you have your answers,” he murmured. “Nothing will be resolved tonight. Get some sleep. We need to be rested for tomorrow.”

She nodded and snuggled down into his arms. He worked at not letting that little voice of doubt trouble him. Nothing was one hundred percent, not even his need for her to be fully his. He would have to curb that for now.

Ever since Davis had found Kai sitting on the beach, it was clear to him that she was struggling with some powerful emotions and life-changing events. He didn’t know what she’d been thinking about. He didn’t want to push her. But from the beginning, he’d been passive when it came to Kai because he sensed she was fragile. But he now knew, deep down, this woman wasn’t fragile. She was far from it, and because he was aware of her strengths, something he wasn’t sure she was even aware of herself, he was invested for the long haul.

He wasn’t going to get all twisted up about her mood or worry that this was the beginning of the end for them. If she needed space, he would give that to her for as long as she needed to gain the insight that would alleviate all the pain and loss she’d experienced in her life.

He loved her, and that meant something. Love wasn’t convenient. It just was.

The Port of San Diego was massive, managing thirty-four miles of the Bay and spanning five cities: Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, National City, and San Diego, and was broken down into three terminals, one for cruise ships, one for vehicles, and one for cargo.

They gathered at the entrance to the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal since the Freedom part of the message pertained to fresh-cut roses, and that was the terminal that handled inbound cargo for fresh commodities requiring refrigeration. Kai had contacted the San Diego Unified Port District, the authority that ran the docks, the harbor police, US Customs and Border Patrol, and the DEA. Davis had alerted the Coast Guard, and they would detain anyone trying to escape by sea.

A man came out as Kai donned her vest, securing the Velcro straps for a snug fit. The DEA Special Response Team was also there to provide tactical support, decked out in camouflage uniforms and toting automatic weapons.

The man looked around at all the law enforcement personnel and spoke to someone. He pointed at her. He walked over and held out his hand. “I’m Hal Thomas, the maritime manager of this terminal. I got word that you suspect one of the shipments coming in today is part of a drug smuggling ring here at the port. Do you have any more information?”

“Does the name Fernanda Delgado mean anything to you?”

His brows rose and he sighed. “She’s one of my managers. Handles the loading and unloading of shipments. She’s on the docks right now.”

Kai nodded. “We have a warrant for her arrest. We want to keep our presence quiet for the time being, but we’ll need access to the terminal.”

He nodded. “I can take care of that. I’ll stay with you until you’ve finished your bust.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry about all of this.”

“It’s a part of doing business. The cartels are flush with cash and people are susceptible to bribes.”

“It goes farther than that. Freddy, as she goes by, is the head of a gang who works for the cartel bringing in the drugs. We suspect it’s cocaine. She’s wanted for several murders, including Senator Finch’s death.”

“What?” His face paled, and he looked nervous. “Gosh, that’s terrible. I saw that on the news.”

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