by Lori Foster
Along with a handful of other personalities, they’d attended a Southern California fund-raiser to benefit the homeless. At the end of the exhausting evening, in front of a crowd, she’d asked to share his limo ride home. Jude didn’t want to embarrass her by saying no. And he felt sorry for her.
And damn it, he’d been a little lonely, too.
But within an hour of the trip, her clinging and come-ons had gotten on his nerves. It was late, dark, quiet… and he couldn’t stand the confinement. He’d had the driver pull over to an abandoned highway rest stop, then he’d walked away with the excuse of buying a cola from the vending machines.
Seconds later, the limo exploded.
His chest constricted with the memory, and he glared at Denny. “Get going, will you?”
More subdued, Denny nodded at May. “You’re keeping her?”
Denny could use some help with his wording, but Jude caught his meaning just fine. “Yeah.”
Approval shown in his eyes. “At least you’ve still got good taste in some things.”
May suddenly caught on. “Oh, now wait just a minute. I’m not… I can’t…”
Cell phone to his ear, Denny left the room at a jaunty pace. He loved to kick ass and was probably hoping for a confrontation. Jude would prefer he’d be disappointed. He wanted things settled with May with as little fanfare as possible.
Shell shocked, May stared at him. “This is not what I wanted when I came here.”
“Oh?” Jude caught her elbow and led her to a chair. “You thought I’d write you a check and then send you on your merry way to deal with men ruthless enough to beat your brother and order my death?”
She looked pained. “I don’t know.”
“Well, I do.” And no way would he let her out of his sight until he knew for a fact it’d be safe. But he didn’t want her to spend the next two hours worrying about Tim, and he didn’t want her to stay with him for the wrong reasons.
He leaned over her, caging her in.
“Now, you listen to me, May. You came to me for help because you’re a logical woman and I’m your most logical choice.”
“I thought so at first, too, but now I know that I can’t take your money.”
“Why?”
“Because it’d make me like everyone else.”
And to May, that’d be intolerable. He shook his head. If only she knew how differently she made him feel. “Impossible. You’re too unique.”
“Jude.” Full of sincerity and that special understanding that turned him on, she stared up at him. “I care about you.”
Outwardly, Jude didn’t react. But inside…
Inside, his heart stuttered and his muscles warmed. Looking somewhat hopeful, May waited, but damn her, after all her denials he refused to be taken in that easy.
Jude fashioned a bland smile. “Great. Then you understand why I can’t let you take out a loan on your gallery. You’ll end up losing it, and I like buying my artwork from you.”
The spark faded from her eyes. She folded her hands in her lap and her shoulders slumped. “There’s nothing else I can do.”
“Try trusting me.” And with trust would come intimacy. Whatever trouble her brother had gotten into, he’d resolve it quickly, and then he’d have May to himself. In his bed. Exactly where he wanted her. “That’d be a good place to start.”
“And then you’ll say I used you. No thanks.”
Determined to get everything out in the open, Jude looked first at her exposed cleavage, then her soft mouth, with blatant suggestion. “You could always find a way to repay me.”
She pressed back into the chair, a little vulnerable, a little peeved. “I had planned to.”
That surprised him, even as it tantalized him. But how far would she go? How far would he let her go? “Then we’re in agreement.”
“I doubt that.”
The urge to kiss her burned inside him. He leaned in until her breath teased his mouth and he could feel her trembling. “You know I want you.”
“You’ve been obvious.”
But she hadn’t. She’d made him work for every hint of her feelings, leading him on a damn chase that left him floundering. Now, thanks to her brother’s antics and her overactive imagination, he had the means to uncover her true feelings.
Half hating himself, Jude said, “Let’s make a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“One that’ll make us both happy.” He looked into her wary eyes and prayed she’d give the right answer. “Stay with me. Let me take care of this situation for you, and in the meantime, you’ll stop saying no.”
A tiny shiver went through her body.
“Do you understand, May?”
“I think so.”
“Let’s be sure.” And he spelled it out. “You say you want me. I admit I want you. So for as long as it takes to uncover this little mystery of who your brother owes, you’ll share my bed. After we have everything straightened out, we can call it even.”
Her hands curled into tight fists, gripping the arms of the chair. “No.”
“What about Tim?” he prompted, more than willing to push her to get the reaction he wanted. “What about the fifty grand you need? I thought you wanted to repay me.”
“Not that way.”
“Then how?”
“I could offer you artwork minus my commission, combined with monthly payments until the debt is cleared.”
Wow, she said that fast, as if she’d already given it plenty of thought. As if… that might have been her plan all along. “Your way could take a while.”
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
On the contrary, the idea of keeping May indebted to him for an extended period tempted him, because it guaranteed their association wouldn’t end anytime soon. Jude didn’t want to dwell on how that thought pleased him.
Ever so lightly, he touched his mouth to hers. “You’re saying you won’t sleep with me—even to save your brother?”
Her eyes sank shut.
Stomach twisting with regret, Jude whispered, “May?”
When her eyes opened, they were bright with fury. “Despite my earlier display, I’m not a violent person, or else I’d hit you again.”
Relief washed through him. “So the answer is no?”
“No!”
Jude grinned. Then he laughed. He cupped her face and before she could dodge him, he planted a soft smooch on her mulish mouth. “Good.”
Lost in confusion, May hesitated before shoving him away with disgust. “You’re playing games with me.”
“Maybe a little. But I needed to be sure we understand each other. And for the record, I’m damn glad you said no.”
“You are?”
“When we crawl between the sheets—and we will, no doubt about that—it won’t be for you to sacrifice yourself. It’ll be because you want me as much as I want you.” He rubbed his thumbs along her soft cheeks and kept on smiling. “You spend so damn much time worrying about and caring for Tim, I wanted to be sure you wouldn’t give in just for his sake.”
Still visibly annoyed, she glared at him. “Satisfied?”
“When I haven’t had you yet?” He grinned. “Hell no.”
“Jude.”
He hadn’t slept all night, and he’d done one of the most strenuous workouts of his life, but Jude heard the prudish tone in her voice, and damn it, he felt pretty good. With a wink, he told May, “But I’m getting there.”
Chapter 7
“Now, the first thing we have to do,” Jude told her, “is call the police.”
In an about-face, May stopped being angry and instead looked desperate. “No. No police.”
“Be reasonable, May. Every villain everywhere always tells the victim not to call. But it’s dumb not to.”
“Normally, I’d agree, but this time is different.”
Understanding her worry, Jude gave her a promise. “I’ll pay for Tim’s debt, so don’t give it another thought: But since it’s going to cost me
fifty thousand, I insist we go by my rules.”
She turned away from him. “No cops.”
“I’m not asking, honey.” And to soften that a little, he added, “You know it’s the right thing to do.”
She shook her head. “No.”
“I can keep him safe, May.”
“No.”
Her lack of faith in him rubbed him raw. Why come to him in the first place if she didn’t trust him to set things right? “This is ridiculous. I’m not going to let anyone hurt your brother.”
“Damn you, it’s not Tim I’m worried about!”
Jude stared at her, blank. “Then what the hell are we talking about?”
“Oh God.” She shot out of the chair. “And you called me ridiculous.”
“No,” Jude said, “I did not. I said the situation was ridiculous.”
“The situation is that someone wants you dead.” Her hands landed against his chest. “You, Jude. Tim is just a pawn. I have a feeling that money was loaned to him just to get to this point—of getting to you.”
So she’d come to him, humbled herself, eaten her pride… for him?
“Don’t you see?” Her hand knotted in his shirt. “If you call the police, they’ll start poking around, probably scare off whoever wants you dead, and we’ll never find out who it is.”
Jude stiffened. “What do you mean, we? You’re not involved in any of this.”
“You’re kidding, right?” She tried to shake him, but Jude curled his hands around her wrists. “Tim is my brother. He’s being used to get to you.”
“So I’ll figure things out, but you’ll keep your nose out of it.” The thought of her poking around in dangerous business made his head pound. The only way to know she’d be uninvolved would be to keep an eye on her. “I mean it, May. Promise me you’ll stay here until I know it’s safe.”
She shrugged. “Impossible. I have to work.”
“You only open the gallery on the weekends.”
“And the rest of the week I work at the realty office.”
Damn. He’d forgotten about that. “So take a vacation.”
“Without notice?”
“Say you’re sick. Flu. I don’t know and I don’t care. But you’re staying here.”
More agitated by the second, she pulled her hands free. “I’m not a liar.”
“I know. It’s an admirable trait.” As he considered the situation, he shared his thoughts aloud, “I wish Tim hadn’t come to your apartment. If there was anyone following him, then they know where you live.”
“According to Tim, they already knew.”
Jude’s heart almost stopped. “What are you talking about?”
She eyed his rigid stance. “Well, don’t overreact, but they told Tim that if they didn’t get him, they’d get…” She winced. “Me.”
In an instant, everything changed. Jude changed. His perspective on the situation changed. This was no longer a mere threat to Tim, or even to himself. An eerie calm settled over him, the type of calm he felt before a fight, the calm that earned him a reputation of always being in control.
His tone and manner were civilized, but his mood bordered on savage. “You didn’t think to mention that before now?”
“I was too worried about… you. And then once I got here, I realized I couldn’t take money from you anyway.”
Since she damn well would take his money, Jude strode to the phone and dialed Denny’s number. As soon as Denny picked up, he said, “It seems you were right, after all. This suddenly stinks of Elton.”
“Told you so.”
Jude was so pissed he could barely get the words out. “He threatened May.”
“Bastard.”
Leave it to Denny to get right to the point. “Get them both out of there, and watch your ass.”
“No problem. My ass is a favorite part of my anatomy.”
After Denny hung up, Jude stared at May. By threatening her, someone had crossed the line. If it was Elton, God help him. Jude protected what was his—and whether May liked it or not, she fell into that category.
Yet until last night, he hadn’t even kissed her.
As if she sensed his mood, she came to him. “It wasn’t like that, Jude. He only threatened to hurt me to keep Tim in line.”
“That’s what Tim told you?” He’d already known Tim was a coward, and this proved it. “And you believe him?”
“I didn’t really think about it one way or another.”
“You better start thinking about it, because Elton doesn’t mind using women to get to me.”
“What Denny said is true? He hates you that much?”
Jude ran a hand through his hair, disgusted at himself. He’d let ego get in the way of his instincts. May had left herself exposed to come to him, and all he’d thought about was using the situation to get her into bed.
“Yeah, Elton hates me.”
“How do you know him? Is he someone in the movie business? I don’t recognize his name.”
“He owns a string of nightclubs popular with the Hollywood crowd. He’s rich, obnoxious, and foul as it is, I don’t doubt your brother would hand you over to him if he thought it’d keep his own hide safe.”
“Jude?”
“Hmm?”
“If I go along with any of this, and I’m not yet sure that I will, will you do me one favor?”
Surprised that she wasn’t fighting him tooth and nail, Jude paused, raising one eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“Quit insulting my brother.”
He didn’t want to give her a chance to change her mind. “Right. I’ll put that top of my list—right behind making sure that neither Elton nor Tim can lay a finger on you.”
Shaking her head, May said, “You’re looking at this all wrong. You’re the one—”
“Now let’s get you out of those clothes.”
She dug in her heels. “Jude Jamison!”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard. Now that he knew how she felt, he couldn’t help himself. Every kiss was sweet, and made him want more. “Will you always turn me upside down and inside out?”
“I don’t mean to.”
“I know.” He kissed her again, this time slicking his tongue along her lips until they parted so he could take a brief taste.
She didn’t object, but he had to keep it short or he’d forget himself. A taste of May affected him more than sex with other women.
When he ended the kiss, May’s eyes remained closed, her cheeks were flushed, and her glasses were crooked.
Jude smiled. God, he had it bad.
“Come on.” Deliberately distracting himself, he slid his arm around her and tugged her out of the library. “You can borrow a few things after I show you what room to use. Hey, know what? I can even show you my pool now. Maybe we can swim together later.” He moved his hand down her waist to the flare of her hips. “And since you don’t have a swimsuit with you, maybe I can talk you into skinny-dipping.”
“Not a chance.”
“Come on, May. Live a little.”
Disgruntled, she stomped along beside him. “I wish you wouldn’t treat this like an adventure.”
“I have the elusive May Price in my house.” Jude grinned. “Trust me. It’s an adventure.”
“I haven’t agreed to stay.”
But she would. He’d see to it. “You need to put in that call to Ashley before Denny shows up. I’d just as soon she didn’t start screaming, alerting the entire neighborhood to our plans.” He led her down the short hall to the second door on the left.
Sounding less than enthusiastic, May said, “I’ll have to call my parents, too.” As if trying to ease a headache, she rubbed her forehead. “I don’t think Tim will be able to make it into work for the next couple of days, and they’re bound to wonder about him. I don’t want to alarm them on top of everything else.”
Because if they got upset, she was the one they’d call. May had “caregiver” stamped all over her, and he’d be willing t
o bet everyone in her family unloaded on her with regularity. Would they blame her for Tim’s predicament? It seemed likely. Maybe he could talk to Ashley alone, get a little more information on May’s background. It’d help in dealing with her brother, and maybe even her mom and dad, too.
It unsettled Jude to realize that he’d just decided to interfere in her entire life. But what else could he do? Much as he’d like to deny it, he cared, too. Probably a lot more than May did.
With a silent curse, he opened the bedroom door. “This is the room you can use.”
She peeked in. Her gaze swept the room, paused on the monitor, and frowned.
“You don’t like it?”
Full of suspicion, she considered him over her glasses. “It’s not your room, is it?”
Surely she knew he could be more subtle than that. “No.”
“Those monitors only see out?”
His brows came down. “They’re installed in every room, along with the intercom system. The house is big enough that we need the intercom so Denny can let me know when there are deliveries or phone calls. The monitor in here can be set to see anywhere outside the house, or for multiple views. The one in my room, the kitchen and library, and a few downstairs, can also be set for views inside the house.”
“Are any set to see in—”
“Damn it, that’s an insulting question. I wouldn’t spy on you, and I’m not a perverted Peeping Tom.”
She thought about it and nodded. “Okay. Sorry.”
Jude simmered. Never before had it been so difficult to keep his emotions in check. May pushed his buttons sexually, but she also nudged his temper with every other turn. Around her he couldn’t be distant or complacent about anything.
Unconcerned with his inner battles, she went back to examining the room. “It’s huge.”
If she thought the guest room spacious, what would she think of his decadent sleeping rooms and private bath? Watching her, he said, “I’m right next door.”
She glanced across the hall at the double doors. Before she could put too much thought into the proximity of their sleeping quarters, he prodded her into the room. “The bedding is clean. Feel free to use the computer and line three of the phone; it’s private for this room. You have your own bath, already stocked with everything you might need.”
