by Mia Dymond
When he extended a hand in an effort to help her out, her hands remained folded in her lap.
“I know you’re scared, sweetheart, but it’s okay. We checked out the house and there isn’t anyone inside.”
She smirked and those hands didn’t move – not even a twitch of a finger.
“Oh, I’m not scared.” She tilted her head to one side. “I’m just trying to decide if I’d like to experience the spanking you offered.”
He couldn’t have stopped the smile that split his lips if he wanted to. Even scared out of her mind she made him crazy with love.
Whoa.
That thought stopped him in his tracks. Love? Did he love her?
He shook free of the analysis required by that epiphany. Later. Much later.
“Tease.”
He reached for her hand, helped her out, and then released a long, slow breath as they approached the house again. Although the situation still angered him, at least no one had been harmed. And maybe, just maybe, some sort of evidence had been left behind this time.
Inside the doorway of the house, Grace stood with Harvard and the detective and this time scanned the living area with more care. The sight hadn’t changed; whoever entered her home didn’t wait for hospitality.
The pink draperies, torn from the rods, lay in a pile on the dark hardwood floor in one corner below the front bay window. The cushions of the two grey sectional sofas had been sliced just as the ones at her office, and the pink and cream-colored throw pillows leaked stuffing onto the large, gray area rug beneath.
Two cream-colored ottomans with gold accents that normally sat in front of the sofas had been overturned. The drawers of the side oak tables stood wide open, the contents strewn over the floor. Framed black and white cityscapes of New York City, Paris, and London hung haphazardly on the walls. Contents from the built-in bookcases lay beside the other items on the floor. The only item still in place was the sixty-inch television hung on the wall opposite the sofas.
“The intruder thoroughly searched the place,” the detective beside Harvard said. “The other rooms are in the same shape. Do you suspect he was looking for the same piece of jewelry?”
Grace could only nod.
“And you have no reason to believe there was nothing else here he wanted?”
“No.” She released a hard sigh. “Unless we’re mistaken about what he wants.”
“We’ll have CSI go over it with a fine-toothed comb. If there’s any evidence here, we’ll find it. Once we’re finished, I’ll give you a call and you can let me know if you discover anything missing.”
“She can’t stay here,” Harvard told him. “She’ll need to grab a few things from the bedroom.”
“Understood. Just try not to touch anything unless absolutely necessary.”
Grace nodded, headed to the bedroom, and ignored the mess in there while she packed a quick bag. She had absolutely no idea how long she would be gone but if she were completely honest with herself, she had no desire to return until this whole nightmare was over. Then again, she refused to give in. She grabbed her swimsuit from the bureau and then slammed the drawer for good measure. This lunatic had another thing coming if he thought he could keep her from her home.
Bag in hand, she returned to the living area where Harvard extended a hand to the detective. “I’ll let Diesel know you’ll be in touch.”
She rode beside Harvard, thankful that they were headed back to the safety of the compound. That, combined with the barbeque would help her relax in the midst of all the negativity.
“He’s getting sloppy, Grace,” Harvard said as he drove, “sooner or later he’ll leave something behind and we’ll get him.”
“I realize it sounds strange, but I was a whole lot more confident when I didn’t have what he wants.”
“He doesn’t know we have it.” Harvard shrugged. “And he’s insane.”
She totally agreed with his conclusion. In her mind, there was absolutely no rhyme or reason for this person to assume she had anything that didn’t belong to her – even if she did.
“Once we get to the compound, I’ll brief Ice and Diesel. You go out to the pool and enjoy yourself.”
“Is Bailey already there?”
He nodded. “Like I said, Ice made sure she made it safely.”
“Does she know about the house?”
“Not unless Ice filled her in.”
She released a long, slow breath, ready to spend the afternoon away from the reality of the lunatic who caused so much stress. Once they were locked behind the gate of the compound, she would update Bailey and then put the whole thing behind her – at least for the time being.
Thirty minutes later Grace and Bailey stood on the back patio under the canopy while Grace relayed the morning’s events. She came to the conclusion that Ice had not spent the night when Bailey claimed to know nothing about the activity. And, if the shock on her friend’s face was any indication, Bailey knew nothing ahead of time.
“The house too?” Bailey groaned. “Oh, Grace. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, just a mess. It’s weird, but it makes perfect sense now that I actually have the peacock.”
“I guess.” Bailey gave her a quick hug. “Hopefully all this will be over soon.”
Grace agreed and took a stab at redirecting the conversation. “By the way, were you with Ice last night?”
“Why would you think that?”
She shrugged. “Wishful thinking, I guess. I’m concerned that I’ve endangered you right along with me.”
“Yes, I was with him.”
Grace’s eyes widened.
“Not with him, with him, but we did get a drink and hang out for about an hour.”
“He didn’t stay the night?”
“No.” Bailey’s denial was absolute. “He did not stay the night.”
Grace decided not to press the issue and moved her gaze around the area, impressed by the sight. The pool was comparable to the one inside the building except that two diving boards were mounted over the deepest end. Cement covered the area around the pool, complete with loungers, tables, chairs, and umbrellas to block the skin-baking sun. An outdoor kitchen occupied one corner, and included a grill, sink, and refrigerator. A long bar rested in front, behind which a man stood dispensing beer on tap as well as mixed drinks.
Bailey nudged her with a shoulder. “The view is fantastic and I’m not complaining, but there aren’t too many women here.”
Grace moved her attention from the pool and onto the guests, grinning when she realized Bailey’s observation was correct. Several tanned, hard-bodied males lounged in the pool or gathered near the grill, engaged in conversation while they enjoyed the camaraderie and cold beer. Another group opted for a volleyball game in the far end of the pool.
“Hormonal Heaven,” she mumbled.
Bailey giggled. “You are so right.”
Her gaze finally settled on three women reclined on loungers not too far from where she and Bailey stood. One of the women caught her attention when she waved with one hand for them to come over. Grace smiled back and nodded.
“Come on Bailey, we might actually learn something.”
“Help yourself to those two loungers,” an attractive brunette told them when they approached.
Grace tossed her bag onto a lounger and then extended a hand. “Thanks. I’m Grace Portland and this is Bailey King.”
“Sarah Gillette.” The woman returned her handshake and then exchanged the gesture with Bailey. “It’s finally so nice to add more female influence to this crew.”
“We were just discussing that,” Bailey told her. “Do you ever get tired of the view?”
Sarah giggled and glanced at the other two women who lounged there. “Do we?”
“Nuh-uh,” they answered in unison.
“I can see why,” Grace mumbled. “Do you know them well?”
Sarah nodded. “The man at the bar is my husband, Tiger.” She gestured at the woman close
st to her. “This is Bethany Pendleton. Her husband is Romeo, the grillmaster.” She moved to point at the last woman. “This is Jill Tanner, married to Doc. He’s the one sitting on the high dive.”
“What about the others?” Bailey murmured.
Bethany giggled. “Single.”
“Oh, no,” Bailey said quickly while her cheeks pinkened, “I meant, how do they all know each other?”
“They were all members of Diesel’s SEAL team.” Sarah smiled. “We’re just all one big, happy family.”
Jill tilted her head to one side. “How do you know Diesel?”
“He hired me,” Grace answered with a grin. “And then I became a client.”
Bethany’s eyes widened. “That sounds ominous.”
“I own Saving Grace and I’m a professional organizer. Diesel hired me to organize Harvard.”
“You must be a miracle worker,” Sarah drawled.
“Actually, we’re making progress.”
“And then some idiot decided to stalk her,” Bailey added.
Jill gave her a compassionate smile. “You’re in good hands.”
“What about you, Bailey?” Sarah asked.
“I’m a travel agent and I own Royal Travel.” She paused to pull her top over her head. “I’m Grace’s partner in crime.”
“Well, welcome to the pack.” Bethany smiled. “We can always use a little more excitement in our lives.”
Grace removed her clothing, stretched out on the lounger, and willed herself to relax. After all, with this view it shouldn’t be too hard to block out the day’s events. She released a soft sigh. Harvard had been exactly right; nothing like a little sun and fun to put a positive spin on things.
***
Seated in front of the projection screen in the conference room, Harvard briefed the team on the break-in at Grace’s house and reviewed the current Intel.
“Just as we suspected, Hummingbird Bay PD didn’t find any identifiable prints at Saving Grace other than Grace’s or Bailey’s.”
“They won’t find anything at the house either.” Ice leaned forward and braced his elbows on the table. “Even if our guy isn’t a professional, he knows enough not to leave evidence behind.”
Diesel rubbed a hand over his beard. “What about the postal cameras?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary or anyone familiar,” Ice answered.
“The one positive thing in this whole bizarre mystery is that we have what he wants.” He pushed the evidence bag to the center of the table. “And before you ask, it was full of prints but no suspicious ones.”
Diesel leaned forward and steepled his fingers. “Where did you locate it?”
“Grace found it in her bag, wrapped in the sketches she made of Eileen McGuire’s closet. How it ended up there, she doesn’t have a clue.”
“So, we have two viable scenarios: it fell into the bag accidentally or someone planted it.”
“If it were planted, it would’ve had to be done inside the residence because Grace watches that bag like a prison guard.”
“There’s no chance anyone had access to it?”
“No, she never lets it out of her sight. It’s like the Holy Grail of organizing technique; it holds anything she needs when she’s working.”
“Have you looked through the contents?”
“Hell, no.” He shook his head. “A woman’s purse is a scary place.”
“Other than the homeowners, who does Grace interact with when she’s there?”
He ran down the list of household staff. “She has more interaction with the housekeeper, Louisa Alvarez, and Richard Worthington, the butler.”
“I’m assuming those were the prints on the piece.”
“Yes, all except Mr. McGuire’s.”
“What about Grace’s prints?”
“No. She used a pen to lift it out of the bag.”
Ice frowned. “How did you manage to get her prints so easily?”
“She’s bonded; they’re on file. Why?”
“Bailey gave me hell,” the other man mumbled.
He grinned. Oh man, his friend had it bad. Normally, he’d take the time to poke the bear but this case had him stumped.
Ice quickly turned the conversation back to the case. “Should we question the staff?”
“Not us, we don’t want to alert anyone of our involvement. Grace could do it without suspicion while she works.”
“Anything missing from Grace’s house?”
“No.”
“Security cameras?”
“No.”
Diesel narrowed his gaze. “We need to wire it. Send Tiger and Romeo in the morning. In the meantime, she can’t stay there.”
“She’ll insist on staying with Bailey.” Ice scrubbed a hand across his chin. “But I’m not too keen on leaving those two women alone together.”
Harvard agreed. “I’ll talk to her. I think the compound is best.”
“What about Bailey?”
“What about her?”
“If someone is watching Grace, he knows about Bailey.”
“I already thought about that.” Ice released a hard breath. “I’ll take care of it.”
Diesel unfolded his fingers and leaned back in his chair. “Any suggestions on how to flush this guy out?”
“The only option we have is to lure him with the brooch. I suggest we advertise it for auction and then wait for him to make a move.”
“Agreed. He would probably bite, thinking no one would suspect anything if he bid.”
Ice cocked his head to one side. “Do we even know how to do this?”
“Grace does.”
“Are we absolutely sure he’s after the jewelry and not Grace?”
Harvard paused at his friend’s question. Up to this point, no one had been hurt and for that, he felt cautiously optimistic. Realistically, if Grace was the perp’s target, he would’ve made a move against her by now. Yes, he’d torn through her house and her office, and mailed her a threat but still, the peacock remained the target.
“Yes,” he answered honestly, “but I refuse to leave her alone until we catch this prick.”
“Proceed with the auction.” Diesel shrugged and stood. “Worst case scenario, no one wins the bird.”
“I’ll talk to Grace.”
He smirked at the captain’s no-nonsense conclusion as he stood and led the other two men out of the room, ready to put the case out of his mind for the afternoon. The compound was damn near impenetrable and in the event of danger, a SEAL team of fifteen men trained in mortal combat stood ready and waiting to act. The odds of any further trouble were slim to none.
He opened the door to the back patio. “Think there’s any beer left out there?”
“Better be,” Diesel said without hesitation.
Harvard stepped out onto the patio and moved his gaze around the party already in full swing. The smell of grilled hamburger filled the air, along with the rowdy voices from the volleyball game in the swimming pool. He grinned. When the whole team got together, they knew how to have a good time.
He reached over one shoulder to grab his shirt and pull it up and over his head. As soon as he held it in one hand, the sound of feminine laughter caught his attention and moved his gaze to five lounge chairs beside the pool. Suddenly the sun felt blistering hot against his skin.
Although five extremely attractive women occupied the space, only one of them took away his breath. Dressed in an emerald green bikini with her legs stretched in front of her and her head rested against the back of her chair, Grace gave a whole new meaning to bathing beauty. The swell of her breasts peeked over the top as if they issued a silent invitation to touch. Lower, the bare skin of her abdomen taunted him, dared him to step closer and remove the skimpy barrier. And even lower, the miniscule bottoms wrapped her hips and covered parts of her that he really wished they didn’t.
His cock stretched and his mouth watered in pure admiration. He knew he should look way, look away and quit ogling her like
a sex-crazed idiot, but she hypnotized him. The silent, magnetic pull between them prevented him from breaking the connection. The impatient beast between his legs jumped, demanding that he satisfy the craving.
“Harvard.” Diesel snickered from behind him. “Take a dive.”
He released a hard sigh, remembering too late that his friends had followed him out. He shrugged as he tossed his t-shirt to the cement and then dove into the pool. At least the cool water would keep his body under control for a few minutes anyway.
He swam to the edge of the pool near the women. “Are you ladies enjoying yourselves?”
Grace gave him a smile that made his trunks tighten. “Yes, very much.”
“Good. Anyone up for a game of volleyball?”
Bailey issued a very quick answer. “Not me.”
“I think we’ll just enjoy the sun.” Grace reached for a wineglass resting on the pavement beside her lounger.
He nodded and then moved toward the net. “Stay hydrated.”
For the next few hours, Harvard worked off both sexual tension and frustration over the case by participating in several games of hardcore volleyball. His shoulders and biceps screamed with the force of each spike of the ball but his mind welcomed the release of pent-up stress and anxiety. By the time the sun disappeared from the sky, the last burger left the grill, and the beer cooler ran empty, his body felt the result of the intense workout but he still wanted Grace with a vengeance.
He swam back to the edge of the pool and boosted himself out of the water, relieved to see the strenuous activity had withered his hard-on. Yet, because he knew all too well the beast was a traitor, he grabbed a towel from a nearby stack, ran it over his body, and then draped it around his waist before he approached the group of women again.
He attempted the impossible feat of distracting himself from the sight of Grace’s delectable body by forcing his gaze above her bikini top. Yet despite his noble attempt, his peripheral vision took in the rest of her and his heated blood warmed his skin. His desire for this woman was transparent; not one person at this party would blink an eye if he stripped her naked and took her right on that lounger. He mentally grinned. Okay, that thought may be a little extreme, but he had no doubt that their sexual connection was palpable.
