Heart of a Devil

by Morgan James

  The waitress delivered our meals, tearing me from my introspection. She hovered by the table for a moment, her eyes fixed on Vince, and I bristled. The jealousy I’d felt earlier flared once more, sending heat racing over my skin. “Can I get some ketchup, please?”

  Her head whipped in my direction, and she quickly nodded. “Of course.”

  She headed back toward the kitchen, and I glanced across the table at Vince. He’d set his phone down and was currently digging into his food, completely unaware of my internal struggle.

  I offered a tight smile to the waitress as she returned with my ketchup, but it was a futile effort because her gaze was locked on Vince. Anger simmered in my stomach, sending prickles of heat over my skin. It was irrational to feel possessive of him, but I couldn’t help it.

  I picked up my fork and speared a scallop, then lifted it to my lips. My heart raced in my chest, making it almost impossible to swallow. Twirling my fork between my fingers, I bit my lower lip and surreptitiously studied the man across from me. We’d become friends, sort of, over the past few days, and I hated to ruin that... but part of me needed to know if there was more simmering beneath the surface.

  I slipped off my sandal and recrossed my legs, shifting slightly closer to him as I did so. I moved my foot experimentally, and I watched him stiffen as my toes brushed the inside of his calf. Both of us froze, waiting for the other to move. My chest lifted and fell rapidly, and I fought to control my breathing as excitement and pleasure curled through me. For several long minutes, we remained that way, both of us refusing to give an inch, either to pull away or to push for more.

  “How is everything?”

  The appearance of the waitress again made me drop my foot to the floor, and I watched Vince turn toward her.

  “Good, thanks.” He offered a polite smile, apparently blissfully unaware of Gabi’s obvious interest.

  Her gaze roved over the dark ink covering his arms. “I’ve always wanted a tattoo,” she gushed. “How many do you have?”

  “A few dozen, maybe?” Vince looked thoughtful. “I lost count awhile back. I’ve been adding to the collection for several years.”

  My eyes widened as she traced one design curling around his forearm. “I love this. How long did it take to do?”

  “Ah...” He shifted slightly in his chair. “A couple hours.”

  “Wow.” She smiled hugely. “Well, I’ll let you finish. Just let me know if you need anything,” she said as she stepped away, letting her gaze linger on Vince just a little too long.

  Unable to comprehend what I’d just seen, I stared at her back as she retreated inside the restaurant. My gaze bounced back to Vince, but he was focused on his food once more, and I swiveled my head toward the doors the waitress had disappeared through. It was almost as if she didn’t care that I was sitting right here. I tossed my napkin on the table and slipped back into my sandals. “I’ll be back. I have to use the bathroom.”

  I headed indoors, my eyes searching for the bathroom sign, and I cut across the dining room to the back corner. After I used the bathroom, I stood at the sink washing my hands, studying my reflection in the mirror. What was wrong with me? I knew I shouldn’t let the situation bother me so much, but I couldn’t reconcile the confusing mixture of feelings welling up inside. Vince hadn’t given any indication of being attracted to the waitress, despite the fact that he was, in reality, an attractive single guy. Irritation flared at the memory of the waitress’s blatant ogling of the man who was—to the eyes of the public, at least—my husband.

  I knew she hadn’t missed the ring on his finger, because I’d watched her gaze drop to his left hand before greedily drinking him in again. I understood where she was coming from. The sight of those tattoos peeking out from under the shirt, along with all those hard muscles, made me stupid. I could no longer deny the attraction I felt to him, but he hadn’t given any indication of wanting me, either. I knew I would be complicating matters, but I needed to know once and for all exactly where we stood. If nothing else, I was at least going to show the waitress that it wasn’t okay to ogle a man right in front of his wife—or temporary wife, as the case might be.

  Tossing the paper towel in the trash, I straightened my shoulders and pulled open the door. My heart beat erratically, but I fought to keep my expression neutral as I stepped onto the deck and strode toward our table. I bypassed my seat and rounded the table, headed straight for Vince. His eyes widened a fraction, and almost as if he knew my intentions, he shoved his chair away from the table. Curving one arm around his neck, I slid onto his lap, heart pounding so hard I swore he could feel it slamming against my ribs where my chest brushed his.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” His voice was pitched low, and his warm breath hit my cheek as he spoke. “You’re drawing attention to us.”

  I turned my head slightly and met his silvery blue gaze. “If either of us is drawing attention from someone, it’s you.”

  One corner of his mouth kicked up in a smirk. “The waitress?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Like you had to ask. I can’t believe she practically hit on you right in front of me.”

  “Jealous?” His tone had a mocking quality to it, and I bristled.

  “No,” I snapped. “It’s the principle of the thing.”

  He leaned in closer, his lips brushing my ear as he spoke. “Keep your voice down. People are looking.”

  His words only served to piss me off even more, and I angled myself slightly away, my brows drawing down in anger. “Let them look. As far as she knows, we’re married, and it irks me that she keeps checking you out.”

  His hand landed on my knee, then slid further up my thigh until it rested beneath the hem of my sundress. I sucked in a breath as his fingers drew little circles over my flesh, goosebumps exploding in their wake. “Keep it up, and I’ll bend you over this table and spank your ass right in front of everybody.”

  My heart skipped a beat, and my anger dissipated into thin air at his low spoken words. Did he really just say that to me? Refusing to let him see how much the idea turned me on, I met his gaze with what I hoped was a teasing smile. “Promise?”

  His fingers found the curve of my ass and pinched lightly. I jumped, and my hand flew to cover his where it rested along my hip. I opened my mouth to speak, but the pretty waitress materialized beside our table before I had the chance.

  “Can I get you any dessert?”

  “No, thanks,” Vince replied smoothly, a glint in his eyes. “I think my wife has something waiting for me at home.”

  I was caught somewhere between shock and laughter, and I watched in bemusement as the waitress’s cheeks flared bright red. With a curt nod, she slid the checkbook onto the table. “Have a nice night.”

  “Oh, we will.” Vince’s voice was filled with promise—though I knew that couldn’t bode well for me. I shifted on his lap, away from pinching fingers, and pressed my lips together to contain a smile as she flew back to the kitchen. As soon as she was gone, I turned back to him. “Wow. I wish I’d thought of that.”

  He smiled, a pair of dimples carving small crescents into his cheeks. “Happy now?”

  A sudden realization caught me off guard. I was happy. Most of the men I’d dated, especially in the music industry, had thrived on the attention they received from people. It was nice to see a man stand up for me, even if he was only pretending. “Thank you.”

  His chin dipped in a nod, but I felt the need to explain. “No, really. I appreciate it. Anyone else I’ve dated would’ve flirted right back, maybe even gotten her number to call her later.”

  Blue eyes stared into mine. “Then you haven’t been with the right men.”

  Heat flared around my heart, sliding through my chest, then slithering lower until it pooled in my core. I held his gaze, unable to tear myself away as I slowly shook my head. “No, I haven’t.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Vince

  I held out my hand. “Come walk with me?”

/>   “At night?” She darted a quick look toward the beach before slipping her palm into mine. “Are we allowed to do that?”

  I managed to bite back a smile. “Nothing that says we can’t,” I replied. “Wait till you see the moonlight on the water. You’re gonna love it.”

  I helped her off my lap then stood, reveling in the feel of her tiny fingers in mine. It was a terrible idea, but one I hadn’t been able to talk myself out of. She was just a job, and our time together would be over just as soon as the police found her stalker. According to Con’s last message, they were investigating a few new leads, one of which sounded promising. I wasn’t sure how much time Jana and I actually had left, so I wanted to make sure she enjoyed every minute. I tried to focus on her and not the disappointment that had settled like lead in my gut. I knew this was all for show, but I couldn’t help how right it felt to have her by my side.

  I slipped several bills into the folio on the table and tucked her sunglasses into the neckline of my shirt. Tightening my fingers around hers, I tugged her toward the wide steps that led down to the beach. At the bottom, I pulled her to a stop and motioned for her to remove her shoes. I held her hand while she bent over to remove first one sandal, then the other. No matter how stupid it was, I couldn’t force myself to let go of her hand. A smile curved my mouth at the sight of her stepping out of her sandals. Little brat had been playing footsie with me under the table. At first, I thought it was an accident, so I’d pretended I hadn’t even noticed. But then she hadn’t moved. I’d been tempted to reach under the table and pull her foot into my lap, show her exactly what she was doing to me.

  She straightened and I took the shoes from her, letting them dangle from my fingertips as I propelled her onto the sand, still slightly warm from the sun. I watched her expression light up as she took in the moonlight rippling over the ocean. “It’s so beautiful.”

  I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. “It is,” I agreed, not referring to the ocean at all. She darted a look at me, and I swear I could see her cheeks flare pink at my implication. I squeezed her hand. “Want to walk down to the water?”

  “Sure.”

  Hand in hand, we picked our way across the sand down to the edge of the surf. She jumped back as the cool water lapped over her toes. I reluctantly released her as she began to look for stray shells buried in the sand.

  “It’s better to look for them after high tide,” I said. “The ocean brings all the shells in at high tide, then leaves them when it goes back out.”

  “Can we come back when—” Her question was cut short as she let out a little squeal. “Oh, my God! What was that?”

  The weight of her tiny body slammed into me, her arms and legs winding around me like a vine. Already scanning for whatever had frightened her, I scooped her into my arms, lifting her easily against my chest. Still holding her tightly, I turned, checking every direction, searching the darkness. Seeing nothing, I dipped my head to look her in the eye. “What’s wrong?”

  One arm curled around my neck, she pointed at the ground, her words shaky. “I don’t know. Something ran over my foot.”

  I glanced down in time to see a handful of white creatures burrow back into the sand, and relief poured through me. “Probably just a ghost crab.”

  Her eyes widened as she turned back to me. “What the hell is that?”

  I fought the urge to smile but lost the battle. “They’re tiny white crabs that primarily come out at night.”

  “Those things are seriously creepy.” A delicate shutter moved through her, and her legs tightened around my waist.

  She was too close, and I was too turned on. Trying to break the tension, I bent over, dipping her backwards toward the sand. She threw a panicked look downward, clutching at my shirt, her fingers curling into the fabric. “What are you doing?”

  “You just took ten years off my life, woman. I should let the crabs have you.” I swung her low enough that the strands of her long hair brushed the ground.

  She seemed to know that I wouldn’t drop her, and her fear bled away, turning to laughter. “Stop! Vince, please!” she called out between giggles.

  Taking pity on her, I lifted her back into my arms where she met my eyes with a lethal glare. “That wasn’t very nice.”

  “I couldn’t help teasing you just a little bit,” I replied, the corner of my mouth kicking into a smirk. “I mean, seriously. Who’s afraid of a little crab?”

  She playfully slapped my chest, and silence fell as I stared into her eyes. Heat raced through my body, and with her pelvis flat against mine, I was certain she could feel the evidence of my lust there. Her gaze dropped to my lips, and my pulse shifted into overdrive. I curled my fingers into her flesh and started to lean in before common sense kicked in. Shit. No matter how badly I wanted to kiss her, I couldn’t let it go that far. Easing my hold on her bottom, I slowly lowered her to her feet. She leaned heavily on me, her eyes darting around to make sure the crabs were gone.

  “Come on,” I said softly. “Let’s head home.”

  I placed a hand on her lower back to try to dispel the awkwardness of the moment. I knew it was my fault, but it was something I had to do. She was a client, and a fairly high profile one at that. We were technically married, but that piece of paper didn’t mean a damn thing to her other than her safety. There was no way I could ever let it go far enough for anything to happen. As real as it all seemed, I had to remember one thing—this was just pretend.

  Chapter Twenty

  Jana

  “So, are you scared of anything else, or just crabs?”

  I shot Vince a mock glare as we cut across the sand on the way back to the rental house. “I wasn’t scared of the crab, it just... startled me.”

  He laughed, a low sound in the back of his throat. “You sure about that?”

  “Yes.” I lifted my chin defiantly, fighting the smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

  “Mhmm.” He gently bumped me with his shoulder. “Scaredy cat.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”

  “All right, all right,” he conceded. “So, you’re not afraid of the crab, even though you tried to climb me like a tree.”

  I snorted but couldn’t help the smile that spread over my face. “You’re such a jerk.”

  Beside me, Vince laughed. “Seriously, I’ve never seen anyone move so fast in my life.”

  Now that my initial surprise had worn off, I could laugh at my reaction. “Fine, I may have overreacted”—I held up my thumb and forefinger an inch apart—“just a tiny bit. But, in my defense, I wasn’t expecting them.”

  “I know, right? Who would suspect there would be crabs at the beach?” he asked drily, and I lightly backhanded his arm.

  “It’s nighttime. I assumed they all... I don’t know.” Exasperation tinged my tone. “Don’t they dig themselves into the sand or something?”

  Vince grinned. “Yeah, to hide from you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Ha, ha. You’re so funny.”

  “Coulda been worse.” He shrugged. “Florida has some of the most deadly snakes in the world.”

  I snapped my head around to look at him. “That’s a joke, right?”

  “Nope.” He kept walking, as if it didn’t bother him in the least. “Coral snakes, water moccasins, rattlers. It’s always a good idea to watch trees and bushes where they hang out. They like to get up off the hot ground.”

  I knew that, of course. We had snakes in Texas, but somehow this little bit of news detracted from the beauty of my temporary paradise. “Well, that sucks.”

  He slid a look my way. “I take it you’re not a fan of snakes?”

  A shudder of revulsion worked its way down my spine. “No. Hell no. No snakes, no spiders. Nothing creepy.”

  “Creepy?” His mouth tilted into a smirk.

  “Yeah. Creepy. Eight legs are way too many legs for any living thing to have. But at least they have legs,” I said, on a roll now. “It’s not natural for something to not have le
gs at all. That’s just... disgusting.”

  “It’s actually good to have snakes around,” Vince commented. “They eat all the little rodents.”

  “Not for this girl.” I pointed at myself. “You know what else can take care of rodents? An exterminator.”

  “Point taken.” Vince laughed. “I’ll add that to my list—Keep Jana safe from creepy animals.”

  We had reached the house, and ever the gentleman, Vince held the gate open for me. I felt a little tickle on the back of my neck as I stepped inside the patio area, and I swiped at it. The palm fronds surrounding the fence danced on the light breeze as I felt the phantom sensation again.

  From behind me, Vince spoke, low and serious. “Jana... Don’t move...”

  His voice was low, filled with wariness, and I immediately froze. “What’s wrong?” I whispered.

  The crawly sensation skittered across my shoulder blades again, and a high-pitched squeal left my mouth. Oh, my God. Something was on me. Panic took over, and I waved my arms wildly, trying to brush off whatever was on me. “Get it off, get it off, GET IT OFF!”

  I twisted and contorted my body in an effort to get the thing off. All the while, Vince never even tried to help. I shot a glare his way in time to see him stumble against the wall, bent at the waist. Confusion welled up as the sound falling from his lips registered. The jerk was laughing. My gaze dropped lower to the palm leaf clutched in his hand. Shock rooted me to the ground, then anger took over.

  “You asshole!” I launched myself at him, but he caught me easily. Dropping the palm leaf, he fended off my clumsy slaps to his chest, still choking with mirth.

  “Truce, truce!” he called between laughs.

  “You’re such a dick!” He winced a little as I punched him in the chest one more time. “I can’t believe you did that to me!”