Jack’s work was important to him. For six years he had been a private investigator at Drake & Associates, the premier private investigation agency in the country. Before that, he had served six years in the Marines where he’d been trained in reconnaissance and surveillance, along with close-quarters battle tactics.
He had enlisted when he was eighteen, so he could use the money he earned to help pay for college for his twin sister, Sarah. He lived in the barracks when he wasn’t deployed and ate all his meals in the chow hall, so his expenses were minimal. Between financial aid assistance, her part-time job waitressing at a sports bar and his contributions, there was enough to keep Sarah at state college while she shared a tiny apartment with two of her friends.
Since their Mom had died when they were little, Jack had always done his best to take care of Sarah. Though they were the same age, Jack felt older, and responsible for his sweet and sensitive sister. Their Dad certainly hadn’t looked after her the way he should have. He was too busy getting wasted and chasing tail to pay much attention to his kids.
Sarah had been dismayed when he’d told her that he’d turned down the offer to play football at his top choice college and had joined the Marines instead. He still remembered how upset she had been.
“You shouldn’t have done that, Jack,” Sarah had said, tears leaking from her pretty blue eyes. “What about your scholarship? What about football? I won’t let you give that up for me. I’m not even that smart, Jack. I’m not very good at school stuff. You’re the one with straight A’s.”
“Don’t say that, Sarah. You can do it. You just have to believe in yourself. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” Jack had brushed away her tears with his thumb. “Aw, come on, don’t fucking start that shit. I can’t stand to see you cry.”
He’d pulled her against his chest briefly for a stiff hug. “You need to go to college so you can get a good job. You need to be able to take care of yourself. Stand on your own two feet, Sarah. I might not always be around to look after you. I don’t want you to end up stuck with some asshole who doesn’t deserve you because you have no way out. You know, like…”
He had stopped speaking abruptly. He had been getting ready to say, “Like her.” Their mother. Dependent on their father. A man who didn’t treat her right, didn’t deserve her. Jack didn’t like to talk about that.
Sarah was so much like their mother, and not just in the way she looked. She was sweet and delicate, soft-spoken and affectionate. Although he wasn’t very good at expressing himself, Jack loved his sister. He worried about her. Too many guys out there would take advantage of that sweet and giving nature, just to have a go at a pretty blonde.
It hadn’t been easy to leave her alone. His best friend Chris had promised to keep an eye on her while he was gone, but the tears running down her face when they said goodbye had almost made him change his mind. It had been just the two of them for so long. Without him, she was truly alone. But college for Sarah wasn’t going to pay for itself. Jack had been sure it was the right move.
The Marines had helped make a man out of him. Jack’s unit had seen its share of fucked up situations during tours in the Middle East. There were times he hadn’t been sure he was going to make it home.
But he had gotten the discipline he needed, and his service had also given him the opportunity to learn the art of investigation, surveillance, and undercover work, and improve his interpersonal skills, an area in which he was not exceptionally strong. He came to D&A with a solid background and Gus had taught him the rest.
Drake & Associates was an elite firm and catered to mostly wealthy clients. They accepted only the highest paying assignments, along with occasional consulting work for law enforcement. Jack had travelled extensively working a variety of cases. The jobs were challenging and exciting, and he got a charge from resolving a tough and complex case.
He went undercover when necessary, doing just about whatever he had to do in order to get the information he needed. That was why Drake & Associates was considered the best. They went above and beyond, willing to do whatever it took. And they were well compensated for their efforts.
Whether investigating insurance fraud, conducting a thorough background check for a wealthy client, searching for a missing person, or consulting on a criminal case with various law enforcement agencies, Jack thrived on a challenge.
Sometimes his work was dangerous, a fact he accepted without question as just another part of the job. There had been a lot of close calls. Too many to keep track of, actually.
But then Gus had been killed, and Jack had been more than a little shaken. He’d been wrecked. Gus was his mentor. The man had taught Jack everything he knew. Been almost like a substitute father to him. Now he was gone.
Jack walked into his office, the same office he had shared with Gus for six years. To the left was Jack’s desk, while the right side had always belonged to Gus. Not anymore, of course. Now it belonged to the new investigator that Russell Drake had hired in Jack’s absence.
As he entered the space that held so many memories, he took a deep breath and exhaled.
Gone was Gus’s desk, messy and strewn with random folders and loose papers, dirty coffee mugs and random souvenirs from their many travels. No longer overflowing with books on any possible subject that may have caught Gus’s attention, the entire right side of the office had been cleared out. The new desk seemed very bare, much too organized and definitely too clean.
Jack was confused. Why did his office smell like sunscreen? Why was there a chick with long blonde hair sitting in Gus’s chair?
A fucking goddess with the bluest eyes he’d ever seen turned in the chair and looked at him, her face breaking into a friendly smile, revealing perfect white teeth.
A girl? Russell had replaced Gus with a goddamn girl?
Jack was surprised. He had been expecting his new colleague to be another man. He’d never worked with a girl before, except occasional undercover jobs which temporarily required the use of a woman.
“Hi,” said the fresh-faced beauty looking up at him. She stood gracefully and moved toward him, holding out her hand to shake his.
“I’m Jessie. Jessie Sparks.” Her voice was soft and sweet.
He caught her hand in his for a brief moment. His eyes automatically scanned her from head to toe, taking in the full effect of this pretty little piece.
Early-twenties, he would guess. Long, wavy blonde hair fell past her shoulders; flawless, lightly tanned skin and full, pink, glossy lips. Those bright blue eyes glancing up at him made his dick harden in his jeans.
She wore a yellow and white dress that stopped mid-thigh and emphasized delicate curves. High-heeled white platform sandals showed off her perfectly shaped and pretty legs. Jack’s eyes lingered at the hem of her skirt, wondering what she wore underneath, those silky-looking thighs making his mouth water.
“Hey,” he said gruffly, looking directly into those amazing blue eyes. “Jack Turner.” His indifferent greeting was in stark contrast to her warm and friendly smile.
He wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of spending his days working with this little beauty. She’d be a distraction he didn’t need.
Jessie was a little nervous. She had started her new job last week, while Jack Turner was still out on leave. She had known he was coming back to work today, and she was excited to meet him.
Russell had told her a great deal about her new colleague. Jack was the best investigator in the business, he’d said. Jessie was looking forward to working with him and learning from him. She hoped to benefit from his expertise and add to her skill set.
Jessie had spent the past four years working for a private investigation agency that specialized in decoy work. Their clients were mostly men or women trying to find out if their significant other was cheating or could be tempted to cheat on them.
Basically, her job was to come on to a guy at a particular location relayed to her by the client and see how he responded. Unfortunately the r
esults of her cases were usually broken relationships. Too many men took her up on her bogus offer.
It was sad, really, to find out how few men took their commitments seriously. How quickly a man would be willing to jeopardize his marriage or relationship for a possible hook up was really disappointing.
Jessie was a true love and happy endings kind of girl, but the reality of her job seemed to make maintaining her positive outlook increasingly difficult. It was one of the reasons she was so ready to move on to something new.
Now, face to face, she was a little caught off-guard.
She hadn’t expected Jack Turner to be so attractive. He was tall, over six feet. He wore jeans that hung casually on his hips, a plain dark blue t-shirt and black boots. Evidently he worked out quite a bit as she noticed his arms right away. Muscular, and well-defined, with tattoos winding down both of his forearms. Solid chest, broad shoulders.
His hair was cut short, but not overly so, dark and a bit messy. His rugged good looks were definitely distracting. He had a little stubble on his face giving him that dark and dangerous kind of sex appeal that Jessie usually steered clear of. Too intimidating. And then there were those incredible blue eyes that were burning through her dress as if he had x-ray vision.
Wow, Jessie thought, as her pulse quickened just slightly.
“It’s great to meet you.” Jessie spoke enthusiastically.
“Uh-huh.” Jack grunted a response and sat down at his desk, turning away from the lovely Ms. Sparks. With a sweet little body like that, things could get tricky.
A case file from Russell was waiting for him on his desk. It contained information about a lawsuit from a car accident. The defendant’s attorney had hired them to run surveillance on the plaintiff with the goal of obtaining proof that she was lying about her injuries.
Jessie felt rather awkward, and slowly returned to her own desk. Jack Turner didn’t seem very friendly. She picked up her phone absentmindedly and checked to see if she had any text messages. She was as caught off guard by his cold and aloof demeanor as she was by his good looks.
The case Russell had her working on last week was complete. The client had been a twenty-one-year-old adopted woman searching for her biological mother. Jessie had found her after several days of intense internet searching and phone calls. The fact that the birth mother had no interest in being found was of no concern to Jessie. Her assignment had been simply to find the woman, not to form opinions about it.
Russell appeared in the doorway. “Morning,” he greeted them with an easy smile. He was a tall, gangly man about sixty with a mop of gray hair and thick glasses. “Good to see you, Jack. Looks like you two have met, so I assume no introductions are necessary.”
Jack rose from his desk to shake Russell’s hand. “Thanks. Ready to get back to work.” He was brief and to the point.
“Is this everything?” He indicated the file in his hand.
Jessie noticed a slight southern drawl and wondered where he was from.
Russell nodded. “That’s it. And Jack, keep Jessie close to you while she gets her feet wet. Show her the ropes.”
Jack nodded slightly. Great. Now he was a fucking babysitter.
He wondered why Russell had hired her in the first place. She seemed young and couldn’t possibly have much experience. Russell had brought him in young, too, but he’d had six years in the Marines under his belt. It occurred to Jack that maybe Russell had a hard-on for her, though from what he knew of the family man, it seemed unlikely.
Russell left. Jack and Jessie were left alone, both of their office chairs turned facing the other. Jack regarded her disinterestedly, while she looked expectantly at him, waiting for instructions or information of some kind.
He leaned toward her and handed her the file that he had already scanned.
She opened it and looked through it as he spoke. “Surveillance for an injury lawsuit. Look it over. Be right back.”
He left the office and Jessie quickly read through the file.
Jessie had studied Criminal Justice in college, a great disappointment to her parents, who had wanted her to study law or business or medicine. She was definitely smart enough to do anything she wanted, but she wasn’t interested in any of those other things. Being an investigator appealed to her more than anything else. Her wealthy parents supported her goal even though it wasn’t what they would have chosen for her.
Her family was everything to her. She was so thankful to have a close and loving family to depend on.
Her father was the very successful and wealthy CEO of a boating supplies company and her mother was a trauma surgeon. As a graduation gift, they had bought her an adorable little house on the water, about fifteen minutes from their own sprawling waterfront estate.
Her older brother, Matt, was an attorney. He and his husband, Roger, along with their adorable five-year-old son, lived in a gorgeous apartment here in the city. Roger was a successful chef at a popular fine dining restaurant.
Jessie had practically begged Russell to give her a chance, assuring him that he wouldn’t regret it. He was an old friend of her father’s and had met with her as a favor to him. Russell thought she was too inexperienced, but she was so lively and charming he had agreed to take her on.
She reminded him of his youngest daughter, and he wanted to give her a chance. He figured Jack was up for the task of taking on a protégé. It would be good for him to have someone to teach and train. A good way to keep his mind off of Gus.
“Let’s go,” Jack said as he returned to the office, grabbing his keys and turning to leave abruptly.
Chapter Two
JESSIE GRABBED HER SMALL WHITE purse and followed him, trying to keep up with his longer strides.
In the parking garage, he led her to a black Escalade.
“Nice car,” Jessie observed, opening the passenger door and climbing in next to him.
“It belongs to Drake,” Jack replied shortly, not looking at her.
“Oh. Well, I like it,” she said appreciatively, feeling the leather seats.
He pointed to a motorcycle parked across the garage. “That’s mine.”
“Really? I’ve never been on a motorcycle. Always been too scared.”
Jack didn’t respond. He pulled out of the parking garage and eased into traffic. He made his way expertly through the maze of city streets.
Jessie still used her navigation system for just about every destination, but she was working on learning the confusing layout of the city.
She pulled out her phone and texted Zoey to find out if she still wanted to get drinks after work.
Zoey texted back almost immediately.
Zoey: OMG yes… can’t wait. Kat’s?
Kat’s was their new favorite hang out in the city. They had discovered it two weeks ago and had been back four times already. The appetizers were delicious and the clientele seemed to include a decent number of good-looking professionals in their age group.
Zoey was an event planner. She was quite successful and her list of clients was impressive and growing.
They had been best friends since fifth grade, when Zoey had stuck up for Jessie on the playground at school when a mean girl had made fun of her.
“What kind of work have you done?” Jack asked, his deep, rugged voice breaking the silence.
“I’ve worked for the past four years at SM Investigations.” Jessie noticed a slight smirk on Jack’s face as she named her former employer.
She must be a little older than he had first thought.
“Decoy work?” he guessed correctly.
Jessie nodded, annoyed by his mocking tone.
“What else?” he asked.
Just as he had suspected. This girl hadn’t done any real investigative work. She’d only used that sexy ass body and long blonde hair to lure unsuspecting dudes to their downfall. He had never been a big fan of the whole decoy thing. Talk about entrapment. What guy with a functioning libido could resist this wet dream come to life?
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br /> Jessie hesitated. “That’s it,” she admitted as she glanced at him, his face expressionless again. “Before that I was in college. But I’ve had extensive self-defense training. Krav Maga.”
She resented that she felt the need to justify her qualifications to him. He probably thought she would be a liability and she wanted to make sure he understood clearly that she could take care of herself.
He nodded briefly, glancing back at her.
She noticed his eyes lower quickly to the bottom of her dress, which had risen further up her thighs as she sat down in the car, revealing even more of her silky skin than when she was standing.
Jessie was surprised when she caught him checking her out. She felt a warm flush spread over her body.
His eyes were back on the road almost instantly.
Jessie wondered why, when she should be irritated, she felt secretly pleased. A little thrill rushed through her, and to her shock and embarrassment, she felt a little tingle between her legs.
Jack drove into the parking lot of a Starbucks and parked near the front.
“Can I get you something?” he asked politely, that slight southern drawl making her breath hitch just a tad.
“Thanks, but I’ll just come in with you. I’d love an iced tea.” Jessie smiled at him sweetly.
She climbed down from the SUV and smoothed down her short dress. Jack walked directly behind her toward the store. When they got to the door, he reached around and opened it for her. She glanced up at him shyly and he looked down at her with no discernible expression.
“Thanks.” She spoke softly, feeling suddenly self-conscious.
Jack was noticing for the third time in an hour how pretty her eyes were. Brilliant blue with long, fluttering eyelashes.
She brushed slightly against him as he held the door open and she walked past him into the Starbucks. He took the opportunity to check her out from the back as she walked in front of him. He couldn’t help but notice again what a hot little body she had.
Lit (Wrecked Hearts Series Book 1) Page 2
