by Tawny Weber
“You said that you thought Nicole was running from something,” she said, before he could take his own thoughts further. “That there are people, men, after her.” She took a step toward him, and he could see the effort her next words cost her. “Maybe I was wrong about Robert. Maybe I was wrong about a lot of things.” She paused, and he realized he’d never heard her doubt herself before. He wasn’t sure he liked it. “But one thing I know for sure,” she said. “Nicole needs help.”
Cooper again ran a hand through his hair. He was an idiot. The world’s biggest sucker. But he was going to see this through. If Nicole Whitlock was still alive, he was her best shot at staying that way. He couldn’t turn his back on her, no more than he could turn his back on her sister. On Jessie. Somehow she’d gotten past his defenses, and until this was all over, he couldn’t walk away. No matter how much he wanted to. No matter how much it would cost him in the end.
“You weren’t wrong about Whitlock,” he said finally. “I’m not sure how, but somehow he’s involved in all this.”
She closed her eyes and nodded.
“Did you love him?” The question slipped out before he even realized he’d thought it, and he couldn’t take it back. Besides, a part of him needed to hear her answer.
For a moment, she didn’t respond, but met his gaze with those dark, turbulent eyes of hers. “Once,” she said finally. “I thought I did.”
She turned away from him and sank into one of the nearby chairs. “Maybe I was looking for what he gave to Nicole, what everyone, including me, has always given her. Maybe I wanted someone to take care of me for a change.” She lowered her gaze to her hands. “But it would never have worked. I never could have been the wife Robert expected. I would have hated it.”
Cooper released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He hadn’t liked the idea of Jessie still caring for Robert Whitlock. Hell, he didn’t like the idea of her having ever cared for him, period.
“So why did you try to sabotage your sister’s marriage?” He asked the question almost as an afterthought.
She lifted her head sharply. “Is that what Robert told you? That I tried to interfere with their marriage?”
“He said you and Nicole argued about it constantly.”
Her eyes flashed. “Nicole and I hardly ever argued.”
“But you were against their marriage. You told me that yourself.”
“Only at first. I thought Robert was too old for her. I wanted her to meet someone her own age. I wanted her . . .” again she paused and glanced at her hands, before lifting her gaze back to his “. . . to fall in love.”
Cooper wondered if she was talking about Nicole or herself. It was an odd thought, and he couldn’t have said where it had come from. But he wanted nothing to do with it. Pushing it aside, he said, “You didn’t tell her to leave him?”
“Only the last time we talked, the time I told you about. She sounded so frightened, and I told her to come to Chicago until things settled down. Under other circumstances, I never would have suggested she leave him. I knew she loved him.”
“And the arguments?”
“Like I told you, we argued over Robert that last night. I was afraid for her.”
He paused a moment, watching her face. “Are you telling me everything this time, Jessie?”
She met his gaze with unwavering eyes. “I’m telling you the truth.”
Turning away from her, he walked over to look out once again at the city. He believed her. God help him, he believed her. That didn’t mean, however, that he was ready to trust her. He’d learned long ago how easily trust could be turned back on you. How it could betray you, leaving you torn and bleeding. He wasn’t about to make that mistake with Jessie Burkett.
Shifting back to face her, he said, “We’ve wasted enough time. We have work to do.” He started toward the door, stopping to look at her just before stepping out into the hall. “You coming?”
She stood up, looking a bit stunned. “Where?”
“I got a whole list of people who knew your sister.”
“You trust me enough to take me with you?”
“Just the opposite. I don’t trust you enough to let you out of my sight.”
Unfortunately, crying wasn’t an option.
Not now. Not with Cooper sitting beside her in his flashy black car. Not after she’d lied to him and bullied him into taking her along. Not after telling him she could help, that she knew Nicole better than anyone. And definitely not after he’d found out that she knew nothing, absolutely nothing at all about her sister.
They’d just spent the last four hours talking to people who’d known Nicole. They’d painted a picture that was vastly different from the sister Jessie thought she knew. From all accounts, Nicole had become a frivolous socialite whose primary concerns were her hair, nails, and designer clothes she needed for the next black-tie event she would attend with her powerful husband.
Cooper parked the car again in the underground lot, and Jessie followed him silently up to his office. Once inside, she folded herself into one of his soft leather chairs, wishing for some time alone.
“I know that was hard on you,” he said.
She tried to smile but failed miserably. “I’m just tired.” Tears would be so easy now. So frighteningly easy. Instead, she attempted to make light of it. “Did we learn anything valuable? Besides the fact that Nicole has her nails done on Thursdays and her hair on Fridays?”
Cooper looked at her for a moment before answering, as if gauging her reaction to all this. “It’s hard to say,” he said finally. Moving behind his desk, he slipped out of his jacket and hung it on the back of his chair. “Sometimes you get seemingly useless information. Then a single piece falls into place, making everything else fit. I’ll keep asking questions. Something will click.”
Jessie’s eyes strayed to his shoulder holster and the gun she’d forgotten he carried. Noticing the direction of her gaze, Cooper slipped the weapon out of the holster and put it in a drawer.
“Better?” he asked.
She nodded, his thoughtful gesture drawing her emotions ever closer to the surface. She didn’t want him to be nice to her now. She wanted him to be his usual overbearing self, so she could rant and rave and release some of the anger she felt at Nicole. Too bad, because he didn’t say a word, not even a gesture to indicate that she’d been wrong about her sister.
Jessie should have stayed behind and let him do his job.
“You were right this morning,” she said. “I haven’t been much help. And I obviously don’t know my sister.”
“You’ve had a tough couple of days.”
Jessie let out a short laugh. That was the understatement of the year. Resting her head against the back of the chair, she closed her eyes for a moment. Nothing had been easy since that last call from Nicole. And now this. What had happened? What or who had so drastically changed her sister?
“You need something to take your mind off Nicole for a few hours,” he said.
“It’s a nice thought.” She doubted it was possible. Besides, what she really needed was a meal, a hot shower, a bed, and to be left alone. Not necessarily in that order.
“Come on, let’s go find Victoria.” Cooper moved back around to the front of the desk. “She’s going to take you back up to the condo.”
Jessie lifted her head. “Aren’t you coming?”
“Our tail will be watching for a man and a woman in a Porsche.” Cooper headed for the door, talking as he went. “They won’t be expecting the two of you in Victoria’s car.”
Reluctantly, Jessie followed him. “What about you?”
“Don’t worry about me.” He led her into Victoria’s office. “I’ll be right behind you. You ready, Vicki?”
She looked up from her desk. “If you are.” Evidently they had this all arranged.
“She’s ready,” he answered. Then, turning back to Jessie, he said, “When you get back to the condo, put on a pair of jeans and a long
-sleeved shirt. And if you have it, bring a light jacket.”
“For what?”
He ignored her question. “I’ll be about a half hour behind you. I’ll call from the lobby.” With that, he was out the door.
Jessie met Victoria’s gaze. He’d done it to them again.
As he’d promised, Cooper called a half hour after Victoria had escorted Jessie into the condo.
“You ready?” he asked when she picked up the receiver.
“Yes. But—”
“Come downstairs then.” The phone went dead.
Jessie stood for a moment, staring at the receiver. As usual, Cooper was giving orders. This time, though, she didn’t have the energy to fight him. With a sigh, she hung up the phone and headed out the door.
She found him leaning against a wall near the front door, wearing jeans and a black T-shirt, and the sight of him took her breath away.
It was his clothes, she decided. There was something decadent about the fit of his jeans, snug and well-worn, and the way his T-shirt hugged the hard lines of his chest, the color setting off the wind-tossed blond of his hair and the wild blue of his eyes. Dressed like that, there was nothing to hide the real man. Nothing to mask the power and danger of him.
“Come on.” Pushing himself away from the wall, he led her out the door toward the biggest, blackest motorcycle she’d ever seen.
“Ever ridden?” he asked.
She shook her head, unable to take her eyes from the machine. “Never.” Her father had forbidden it, and even after his death, she’d obeyed his wishes.
“You’re in for a treat.” Cooper threw one long muscular leg over the seat and handed her a helmet. “Climb on.”
Jessie hesitated. “Is it safe?”
He met her gaze, challenging her with his eyes. “Is anything?”
No. Hadn’t she found that out today? Not even memories were safe. Still, she wasn’t quite ready to throw caution to the wind. “Just how many vehicles do you own?”
He smiled, as if understanding her delay tactics. “Three. The Porsche for show, the Nissan for work, and this”—he started the engine, revved it once for emphasis— “is for me.” Unhooking his helmet from the handlebars, he slipped it on and then held out his hand to her. “Are you coming?”
Tempted, she took a step toward him.
She had to admit the sight of him on that machine thrilled her. She wanted to be a part of it, a part of something wild and forbidden, if only for a few hours. Putting on the helmet, she took his hand and awkwardly climbed on behind him.
“Hang on,” he called as they started moving. “And don’t fight me.”
He handled the bike effortlessly, and she soon caught the rhythm of riding with him. She learned to go with his movements, letting her body flow with his.
They headed north on A1A. The road skirted the ocean, playing hide-and-seek with the beach between long stretches of condominiums and hotels. It seemed like they rode forever, yet not nearly long enough. They stopped to pick up sandwiches and sodas, then went on, heading north again along the ocean.
It was unlike anything Jessie had ever experienced—the wind whipping past her face, carrying the heavy smells of salt and sea; the machine, dark and powerful, humming beneath her with a pulse and life all its own; and the man, Cooper, his broad back pressing against her breasts, his firm stomach beneath her hands and his thighs hard between hers.
Finally, he pulled the bike off the road, dodging a barricade to stop in a small parking lot on the ocean side of the road. He shut off the engine, and for a moment the silence was deafening. Then the swish of the waves against the sand crept into her awareness.
Cooper pulled off his helmet and ran a hand through his hair. Then he shifted on the narrow seat to look at her. “Ever walk on the beach?”
“Not this beach.”
He smiled, and she caught her breath. He was incredibly handsome when he smiled. Almost too handsome. And if she could have backed away, she would have. He was too close; their bodies fit too snugly together.
Cooper moved first, taking her hand and helping her off the bike. Then, without releasing her, he climbed off himself.
“Take off the helmet,” he said in a dark whisper.
Her hand moved of its own volition to the strap under her chin and unfastened it. But it was Cooper who reached up and pulled the helmet from her head, dropping it to the ground.
For a moment she couldn’t breathe.
He was going to kiss her. She could see it in his eyes, in the way his gaze dropped to her lips, caressing them with a look before touching them. Something deep inside her tightened, only she couldn’t have said whether from fear or anticipation. Then abruptly, his eyes turned hard and he backed away, leaving her cold where a moment ago she’d been too warm.
“There’s a couple of picnic tables under those trees,” he said as he retrieved her helmet from the ground. “We can eat there.”
Shaken, Jessie couldn’t follow him over to the table. Not right away. He’d been about to kiss her; she knew she hadn’t imagined it. She’d seen desire in his eyes, and something else. Something darker. Then she realized what. Anger. He’d been angry. It didn’t make sense. But then, so much about Cooper confused her.
She joined him at the table, and for some time they sat facing the ocean, eating their sandwiches in uncomfortable silence. Eventually, the awkwardness faded, cleansed by their surroundings.
It was a beautiful night.
A light breeze stirred the air. The waves sought the shore in slow easy rolls, breaking gently against the sand. And the nearly full moon rose over the horizon, casting a pearly white glow across the water.
“Nothing quite like it,” he said into the silence.
Jessie glanced at him.
“The water,” he clarified. “Next to being on it, this is the next best thing.” He looked at her and smiled slightly, a little self-consciously, perhaps. “When I was a kid I practically lived on the beach. Night and day.” He shrugged. “So did most of the kids I knew.”
“I didn’t realize you grew up down here.” It was the first personal thing he’d ever told her.
“Born and raised.”
“Do you still have family here?”
“Some.” Then, without elaborating, he said, “Let’s walk.”
He gathered their sandwich wrappings and dropped them in a nearby garbage can. Jessie watched him walk away, feeling as if she’d just had a door slammed in her face. Obviously, Sam Cooper’s personal life was off-limits. It was probably for the best.
Cooper walked alone down to the water’s edge.
He’d thought he could handle it—taking her out on the bike, bringing her to the beach. It was just supposed to be a few hours’ diversion, something to clear both their heads and take Jessie’s mind off her sister.
He’d been fooling himself.
This woman was getting to him. He’d be an idiot to deny it any longer. At every twist and turn, she broke down more of his defenses. He saw something in her of the self he’d lost years ago. Her strength. Her determination. Her faith in her sister. He wanted to hold her, protect her, shield her from reality.
Yet there was another side of her. A side that stirred his blood. When he’d turned toward her on the bike, he’d seen the excitement in her eyes. The recklessness of the ride had claimed her as surely as it claimed him. In that moment, he’d wanted her more than his next breath. And she would have let him take her. It had been that very rashness that had stopped him. He’d seen that look before. For the moment, he was her hero. But it wouldn’t last. When this was all over, she would see the real man, and she’d walk away.
“I hope you don’t mind that I took off my shoes?”
Jessie’s voice cut into his thoughts, and he turned around. She looked about sixteen, with her jeans rolled halfway up her calves and her tennis shoes dangling from one hand.
“Not if you don’t mind if I leave mine on.”
Throwing a glance at his
boots, she laughed lightly. “It’s a deal.” Brushing her soft brown curls away from her face, she added, “I’m sorry if I got too personal back there. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Cooper felt like a jerk. She’d asked an innocent question, and he’d reacted like she’d breached national security. “Don’t worry about it. It’s no big deal. My parents are both still alive. The live in West Palm.”
She smiled softly, and it tugged at his insides. “Any sisters or brothers?”
He turned, and they started walking near the water’s edge where the wet sand made the going easier. “I’m an only child.”
“That must have been lonely.”
He turned to look at her. “I never thought about it much.”
Thankfully, she let it go. He’d never been comfortable talking about himself. Then, after a few minutes of silence, she said, “So, what’s the next step in looking for Nicole?”
“More of the same.” Bending, he picked up a shell and tossed it into the water. “We still have a dozen names in Nicole’s book.”
“Is this how it always is? Talking to dozens of strangers?”
“Pretty much. As they say, investigating is ninety-nine percent legwork and one percent pure terror.”
“So why do you do it?”
He glanced at her, surprised by the question. No one had asked him before. Hell, he’d never even asked it of himself. “I guess I like puzzles,” he said finally. “And I’m good at solving them.”
She nodded, evidently accepting his answer.
“You’ve never told me what you do,” he said, shifting the conversation away from himself.
“You never asked.” She glanced sideways at him and smiled impishly.
“I’m asking now.”
“I own and run a day care center.” His surprise must have shown on his face, because she laughed, a soft throaty laugh that tied him in knots. “What?” she said. “You don’t like kids?”
“No, that’s not it. Kids are okay.” He shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. “It’s just not what I expected, that’s all.”
“What did you expect?” she prodded.
He shook his head. “I don’t know.”
