Chapter 4
Gibbs was naked under the spray when Kelli came in and while his body was interested, his mind suddenly rebelled. He opened the door, letting her have a quick glance, knowing that was all he’d allow from her for now. “Woman’s touch,” he echoed, nodding, her predatory look doing nothing for him. “Pick me out a great outfit, how is that for a start?” And an end…
“Just an outfit, L.J.? I’m sure there’s a whole lot more I could do with my woman’s touch than just pick out some clothes.” Her mouth started watering at the glimpse of his naked body. The muscles, all his muscles, melted her, making her want to rip off that door and devour him. But there was something cold about his eyes that warned her against it.
“Just an outfit…for now.” It had been a mistake to encourage her. He’d gotten his information much more easily than by selling his body or soul. “We’ll see about more later.” She wasn’t his type at all and there was no way he could fake it right now. He’d let her look. But there wasn’t going to be anything more than that. Not now, not ever.
“For now,” she purred, leaving it as a promise for the future, hopefully the immediate future. Giving him one more backward glance, she whispered loud enough for him to hear. “Delicious.”
Going into his enormous walk-in closet, Kelli picked out a few articles of clothing she knew he looked amazing in. Putting down the dark slacks with the matching sport coat and a bright button down shirt and tie, she set them on the bed. Sitting next to the clothes, she arranged herself in what she believed was an alluring pose and waited for him.
He let out a quiet groan at her perusal and showered quickly. Whoever belonged to this shower had much more expensive tastes than he did. He liked the dual showerhead and the slate walls of the huge shower, but the liquid soap and expensive shampoo did nothing for him. There wasn’t a razor or shaving cream in the shower, so he figured he’d find an electric when he stepped out.
He washed quickly, stepping out, drying off, and staring at himself in the mirror. He looked fundamentally the same to his eyes, despite the change in location. Discovering the razor, he ran it over his face quickly then splashed on some expensive aftershave on. The deodorant was in the same scent and he winced slightly as he applied it. He was going to smell like a damned girl. An electric toothbrush and toothpaste were by the sink and he used those as well, his movements quick and efficient.
Walking into the bedroom nude, he discovered her on his bed, clothes laid out next to her. Where was underwear? He looked at the bureau and crossed the room, opening the top drawer. Socks, cufflinks, there… He slipped on a pair of dark boxer briefs and turned to her, mentally wincing at the hungry expression on her face.
“Took you long enough, stud.” Putting on what she thought was a delectable pout, she whined, “That’s too bad. And here I was hoping you’d go without the boxers today.”
He blinked a few times, shaking his head. “Without underwear?” He expelled a huge breath. “Look, Kelli. This isn’t…it’s a bad idea right now. Not that I’m not interested, it’s just…not a good time. But waiting, that’ll make it so much better, won’t it?”
He hated this stuff, was stumbling all over himself just like always in these instances. And if he ticked her off, his main source of intel was gone. “Later, babe. I promise you…later.” He hated lying to her, but it was very necessary right now.
Getting up from the bed, she walked over to him. Stopping when she was close enough to feel his body heat, she trailed a fingernail up the middle of his chest. “I’m going to hold you to it, Boss.” Turning on her heel, she headed out of the bedroom. “I’ll be waiting downstairs. Get dressed quickly…unless you need some help…” She trailed off, hoping.
“I’m okay,” he promised. His hands were shaking slightly as he dressed. He needed to talk to NCIS, had to figure out why this woman wasn’t shocked that he was here and where here was exactly. And why there was a guy who looked like him and had his name.
There was a phone handset in the bedroom and Gibbs picked it up. No time like the present. He dialed Abby’s number and got someone who didn’t speak English, tried Tony and Ducky, only to get wrong numbers. He called half dozen people, as well as NCIS, and didn’t get through to a one. It seemed that he was someplace else, in someone else’s life, as impossible as that sounded.
Calling up the stairs, Kelli yelled, “Hey L.J. You doing okay? Need any help?”
He pulled in a couple of deep breaths. This was just a role, he could handle this; he could make it happen. “Yeah, I’m good. I’ll be right down.” He stared at himself in the mirror until his expression was normal and glanced at the clothes for the first time. They were expensive, felt a little funny against his skin, but he looked good. Damned good.
He pulled on a watch, slipped a cell phone in his pocket, and grabbed a wallet he hadn’t seen before, flipping it open. Two American Express cards, a bunch of other credit cards and two IDs. He looked at the license first. A man who looked a lot like him, but about five years younger, stared out of the piece of plastic. Same height and weight, different years of birth. Another piece of paper showed a concealed weapons permit. The smallest key on the keychain must belong to a gun safe.
“If I’m here, I hope you’re with my people. They’ll treat you good,” he told the picture.
He slipped the wallet into his pants and started searching for the gun safe, finding it in the bedside table. He unlocked it and pulled out a Sig very much like his service weapon. Clipping the holster to his belt, he closed the safe and walked out of the bedroom, heading downstairs where the woman waited.
She was his personal assistant, but she’d have to be considerably more today.
“What is the schedule today again?”
Wondering at the sudden change in mood, Kelli had the good sense not to push it with her boss. When he got into his moods… “Pretty light, actually. Other than the meeting at one, you set the day aside for catching up; records, contracts.”
“So why did you come here?” he asked. Why would an assistant go to someone’s house if they weren’t involved, and he was sure they weren’t involved. “Look, I’m hungry. Let’s grab a bite and you can fill me in. My head hurts and everything is kinda fuzzy, so I’m gonna need your help today.”
“You always need my help, L.J.” Grabbing her purse, she winked at him. “Come on then. Let’s go get you some food.”
“Your car?” he asked, hoping she wouldn’t find that too strange. From the license, he knew he was in Reston, but he didn’t know that suburb like he knew his neighborhood in Alexandria.
“That’s why I came to get you.” She hoped he’d even let her drive him home at the end of the day, though he could always take his other car home. For reasons beyond her, L.J. kept another car, gassed and ready to go, at work.
“Okay,” he said reasonably. He knew Reston only slightly and that was pretty much the toll road to Ducky’s place. “But let’s get moving. I’m starved.” He hadn’t eaten much last night, had only picked up coffee after leaving work, and his stomach was protesting.
“On it, Boss,” she laughed, meaning much more than just food. Heading out the door, she didn’t wait for him to follow, knowing he would. Sliding into her driver’s seat, she waited for him.
“On it, Boss?” he repeated, smirking slightly. Apparently not everything had changed. He spied a soft leather briefcase and grabbed it, hoping it was the right thing. He slipped in beside her, looking around at the nice neighborhood that was a little more suburban and much more upscale than his own place.
“Where are we eating, Kelli?” he asked, trying to relax.
“What do you feel like, L.J.? There’s always a few restaurants that have a table reserved for you in case you show up.” Starting the car, she pulled out, heading toward the Reston Town Center.
He shrugged. He had no idea what was out here. “Ladies’ choice, I’m up for anything today, just something pretty hearty.” It was the best tactic he could take right now. He stared out the window, watching the people moving around, doing their errands. Something grabbed his attention, though, and his heart started racing double time.
He frantically rolled down the window. “Slow down!” Focusing his attention on a figure, he leaned halfway out the car. “Shannon???” If he was someplace else with a younger him, it reasoned that she could be here. Alive.
Pulling quickly to the side of the road, Kelli turned to him, confused. “L.J.? What are you doing?”
The woman with thick red hair hurried down the street, following a short list of instructions from her current employer. She had no idea why the strange woman from New Orleans always had her running errands at the same time every day. But the temp agency she worked with as a virtual assistant sometimes had her working for strange people who had strange demands of their assistants. So, every day for the last week at precisely 10 o’clock, Emily was in the Reston Town Center, following orders. As bizarre as this was, at least it was a job.
As soon as Kelli pulled to the side of the road, he was out of the car, but he couldn’t see her in the crowd. A redhead turned then and he realized how silly and stupid he was being. It had to have been her instead of his wife. Going back to the car, he settled in the passenger seat, slamming the door.
“What the hell was that?” Kelli asked, a bit indignant since he seemed all hot and bothered about some girl on the street.
“Nothing,” he snapped. “Thought I saw someone I cared about. You don’t need to worry about it. She’s gone. Was stupid.” Gibbs spoke in bursts of sound, clipping his words. “She’s gone, Kelli, and it doesn’t matter, okay?”
“Okay, fine. You still hungry?” she asked, not really caring as to the answer. Heading to a restaurant that served good wine, Kelli found it quickly and pulled into a parking spot.
He nodded, not daring to say anything. The idea that this could be Shannon niggled, even though he knew better. She was gone, she couldn’t be alive in this world, or could she?
“Do a computer web search for me, will ya? Shannon Melissa Bartlett, born in Philadelphia on May 29, 1962. I need to know everything.”
“Do you wanna eat or do you want the search? I guess I could order it to go if you really got a hard-on for the results…” Kelli didn’t like it all. First, he was all hot and dangerous, turning that lethal charm on her. Then, he saw one redhead and bam! It was all business.
He looked in the back seat. “You have a laptop. We can do both. Get lunch ordered and then the search started. That okay with you?” She had an edge in her voice that annoyed him. He needed information on his wife, and she meant so much more than some bimbo with long nails and a predatory attitude.
“Right,” she bit out, realizing her pleasure lunch with L.J. had just turned into a business lunch with her boss.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.