by Cindy Dees
“Got it!” Jeff’s voice was faint.
She tore out of the office and toward the front of the house. “Where are you?”
“Library.”
Jeff stood behind a massive mahogany desk that looked more like a piece of art than actual furniture. He held out a phone receiver to her.
“Time?” she asked as she jammed it to her ear and heard the distinctive tone they were searching for.
“Thirty-seven.”
Crud. It was going to be tight. Bertha might be a fast computer, but the thing still took a few seconds to process and execute commands. She typed in a rapid series of numbers on the phone’s keypad and prayed this would work. C’mon, Bertha. Answer, baby.
Of course, this entire plan hinged on Brady Hathaway having not revoked her security codes in the past few days. She sincerely hoped that their seven years working together had earned her enough trust from him to cut her some slack, even if she did sound crazy at the moment.
The phone line made a series of rapid beeping noises and then went silent. She typed in a numerical command code that ought to deactivate the alarm system in this house. It was a general override code that was programmed to work on all but the most sensitive systems in the H.O.T. Watch facility.
Three short beeps were all Bertha gave her back.
“Time?” she bit out.
“Fifty-six seconds.”
She hung up the phone.
“Did it work?” Jeff asked tightly.
“I don’t know. If I was sitting at my console in H.O.T. Watch, I could tell you. If the cavalry shows up in a few minutes, we’ll know it didn’t.”
He didn’t look too thrilled at that answer, but it was all she had. She said, “I’d suggest we start searching for the maps in here.”
He nodded. “I expect they’ll either be laid out flat in a map drawer, or rolled into tubes of some kind.”
She looked around the room for the distinctive wide, flat drawers that would hold maps. She didn’t see anything like them. A closet, maybe. The room, where floor-to-ceiling bookshelves weren’t covering the walls, was lined with gorgeous oak paneling. She moved along the wood panels, pushing and tapping in search of a hidden closet.
Abruptly, the wall rang hollowly beneath her fist. “Here. There’s something behind this panel.”
Jeff moved over beside her, took one look at the wall, pushed on the panel, and a door popped open. An automatic light came on and illuminated a well-stocked wet bar.
“Nice setup,” he commented. “I’d pour myself a snifter of that Louis XIII brandy if we weren’t about to be arrested and thrown in jail for the rest of our lives.”
“Keep looking,” she responded.
Jeff took over searching the walls and in a few seconds opened another panel. This time a closet was revealed. And better, it was lined with shelves and filing cabinets. She stepped inside with Jeff and searched quickly. Bingo. A half-dozen cardboard tubes stood in the corner. She scooped them all up and carried them out into the library.
“Time?” she asked.
“Five minutes.”
“I’d say we’re clear. The cavalry would be here by now if I had failed to turn off the alarm.”
Jeff nodded in relief and reached for a tube. The first tube yielded blueprints of the house they were standing in. But the second tube was a home run. An outline of the island unrolled on the desk, and an extensive network of tunnels and caves was drawn on it. There were five maps in all, each showing a different level of underground caverns.
Jeff gathered up the other tubes and returned them to the closet while she quickly photographed the cave maps for handy reference. He came back to join her. “Do we need to wipe down the room for fingerprints?” he asked.
“If they figure out someone has broken in by using Big Bertha to deactivate the alarms, they won’t need to use fingerprints to identify the intruder. They’ll know it’s me.”
“What’s next?”
“We need to study these maps. Find an entrance to the caves that the gang at H.O.T. Watch either doesn’t know about or doesn’t monitor.”
“And you’re sure you’ll recognize every entrance?”
“Jeff, I run the place. Believe me, I know every inch of the facility.”
“You didn’t know about the surveillance on the first island we were at.”
She fell silent. He had a point, even if she didn’t like the implications of it very much. Finally, she responded, “It’s our only shot at getting into the place undetected. If you want to bail out now, you surely can. This is my problem, not yours. I’m truly grateful for all you’ve done to get me this far.”
Jeff flared up. “Are you trying to get rid of me? Because I don’t bail out on my people. Ever.”
His people. She liked the sound of that. Although the violence of his reaction to the idea of his leaving should probably scare the hell out of her. “All right, then,” she replied. “Help me look at these maps.”
“Here?” he asked in surprise.
“We’re safer inside this house than just about anywhere else on the island. And you have to admit, it’s more comfortable in here than sleeping on the ground with all the bugs and critters.”
Jeff chuckled. “I thought you were a big back-to-nature girl.”
“Hey. Living in a tepee is great if that’s all you’ve got. But a snazzy suite at a four-star resort is a whole lot more comfortable.”
“I think you’re getting over your allergy to money very nicely.”
“As long as you never forget that I am actually capable of living in a tepee when necessary.”
“Duly noted. I’ll count on you to remind me if I ever forget.”
She stared unseeing at the map. That sounded an awful lot like he was thinking about a long-term relationship with her. Shock and elation washed over her before she could tell herself to be realistic. Not to expect too much.
As a child, she’d learned that life was a great deal less disappointing if she didn’t allow herself to hope for anything. That way any good things that did come her way were a pleasant surprise. Jeff Winston was a whole lot more than a pleasant surprise, though. He was more than she could ever dare dream of, let alone actually hope for.
* * *
Jeff frowned as he studied the complicated maps laid out before him. They looked like crude drawings of spaghetti and meatballs, but Jennifer seemed to be making sense of them. She traced various tunnels with her fingers and muttered to herself as she mentally walked herself through the facility and compared it to these maps.
“Here,” she murmured. “This tunnel is walled off. We need to mark it.”
He searched in the desk and found a mechanical pencil. He drew a line across the tunnel as Jennifer’s finger backed up and headed another direction. It was frustrating being unable to help her with this. He hated feeling helpless in general, and he was already feeling far too much of that sensation around this woman.
There had to be something he could say or do to convince her that his taking the medications to enhance his body hadn’t been a mistake. He understood her argument that what he’d done wasn’t natural. But how natural was most of modern medicine these days? Nano cameras, robotic surgery and stem cell transplants? It was all pretty far-out in his book. He stood by his argument that someone had to learn about this body enhancement stuff before the other guys did. Better him than someone with no ethical compass at all.
“There’s another wall here,” she announced.
Over the next hour, he drew in the boundaries of the H.O.T. Watch facility at her direction. At least half the cave complex was undeveloped, although the parts that weren’t developed were mostly small caves and narrow tunnels if the scale of the drawings was accurate.
Jennifer moved on to the deeper layers of the facility. She pointed out where the nuclear reactor was housed and where the tunnel was for small submarines to enter the facility. She even pointed out a cave where smugglers had hidden rum and treasure over the cen
turies.
When she’d finished mapping H.O.T. Watch, he stared at the drawings in deep concentration. “Do air vents lead to the surface of the island?” he asked.
“The air circulation system has intakes and vents all over the facility. There are three primary exits for stale air being vented from underground. They come out here, here and here.”
Perfect. One of them ran right past the island’s steam plant. And even better, the armory was just around the corner. He pointed at the map. “Here’s the spot we should use for our break-in. We can steal explosives to create our mini-earthquakes here, and move over here to divert steam from the generators to this exterior vent.”
She nodded in agreement. “Now. How to get to that spot from the non-H.O.T. Watch side of the island?”
“Do you know if the caves on this side of the island are blocked off from the outside?” he asked.
“Not to my knowledge. Although, I should probably check to see if the caves on this side of the island are on our security monitoring grid. I’d need to get into Big Bertha to do it, though.”
“Can you access Big Bertha from the internet? I’ll bet this house has wi-fi.”
She nodded. “I’ll need my laptop. Bertha will recognize its electronic signature.”
“Will using your computer set off any alarms?”
“Not if Brady Hathaway trusts me.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then we’ll never make it inside H.O.T. Watch, anyway. He’ll be waiting for us when we get there.”
Great. She really was big on the whole trust thing in her relationships with people, wasn’t she? If only she would extend that trust to him. He felt her holding back on him emotionally, and he was stumped as to how to break through her reserve.
Out of Jennifer’s backpack, he retrieved a laptop computer and handed it to her. “Only way to find out if this Hathaway guy trusts you is to give it a try.”
He watched over her shoulder as she booted up the laptop and, indeed, was able to connect to the internet. She logged onto Big Bertha rapidly.
“I’m going to run a low-level security scan. Nothing that should catch anyone’s attention inside H.O.T. Watch.”
“Don’t do it if you think you’ll get spotted,” Jeff said in quick alarm.
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
“Nothing ventured, nothing lost,” he retorted.
“How’d you get so rich with an attitude like that?” she demanded as she typed.
“I inherited everything I have. Never earned a dime on my own. Leland’s the big risk taker, not me.”
“That’s such a load of bull. I ran your financials before I went to Africa to get you, and you’ve made millions with your computer business alone.”
“Can you imagine how much money I’ll make when I can offer people a chance to become a superhero?”
“You wouldn’t sell the technology, would you?” she blurted out in horror.
“Never. I just wanted to get a rise from you.”
She subsided in her seat, glaring at him. “Very funny.”
“Just keeping you on your toes.”
Kind of like she managed to keep him on his toes most of the time. He’d never met another woman who challenged him or fascinated him like she did. Life would never be dull with her around. Assuming he could convince her to stick around for a long, long time. He might joke about her getting used to money, but he didn’t for a minute think she would stay with him because of it. If anything, she would choose to be with him in spite of his wealth.
“Nope. No motion sensors on the caves on this side of the island that are connected through to H.O.T. Watch,” she announced.
“Great. We’re in, then.”
“Well, there’s the whole business of busting through a solid rock wall and breaking into the armory without being discovered.”
“Bah. Kid stuff. Leave the heavy work to me, honey.”
As she backed out of H.O.T. Watch’s computer system, he suggested, “How about we go find ourselves a guest bedroom and resume planning mayhem and destruction tomorrow?”
While she packed up her laptop, he carried their backpacks upstairs. She rounded the corner and put a foot on the first step of the sweeping curved staircase when he came into the hall above. “Stay there,” he called down to her.
She frowned but waited. He joined her at the base of the stairs and she asked cautiously, “What’s up?”
“This.” He swept her up into his arms and cradled her against his chest as he climbed the stairs.
“What on earth are you doing?” she demanded.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never fantasized about being carried up a staircase like this. Have you never seen Gone with the Wind?”
She laughed up at him. “I’d make the worst Scarlet O’Hara in history.”
“I don’t know about that. You’re smart and tough and resourceful…and beautiful and sexy and passionate. And as for me, I’d make a smashing Rhett Butler.”
“You certainly have the disreputable rake bit down pat.”
“Darn tootin’.” He carried her across the wide hall and into a sumptuous suite, kicking the door shut with his foot. Just enough moonlight filtered past the curtains to outline the dark shape of the bed. As he laid her down on it, he murmured, “Haven’t you ever wondered what happened to Scarlet after Rhett carried her up the stairs that night?”
“Are you planning to show me?” she replied a little breathlessly.
“Frankly, my dear, I am.”
Her laughter joined his as he quickly stripped her out of her clothes then strode over to the fireplace mantel where he lit the collection of candles that had made him choose this room. He returned to her doffing his shirt as he went. Jennifer reclined on the bed watching him, her long hair a swirling sable mist around her. The air conditioner blew quietly, setting the gauze bed curtains swaying lightly and raising tiny goose bumps on her beautiful copper skin. He shed the rest of his clothes and placed a knee on the mattress beside her. She crossed her arms over her chest shyly.
He said, “I’m fairly certain Rhett didn’t allow Scarlet to hide behind any false modesty that night. Once and for all, he had to show her the depths of passion which she was capable of with him, to break down her walls and get her to admit how she really felt about him.”
“Oh? And how was that?”
“Shall we find out?” he replied darkly.
Vague alarm crossed Jennifer’s face. While he would never do anything to scare her, he also had no intention of letting her retreat behind her emotional walls tonight. He started out by kissing her. All of her. Wherever his explorations took him. She protested faintly, but eventually relaxed and gave him free access to anything he wanted.
“So tell me, Scarlet. Is it so hard to believe that we might develop strong feelings for each other?”
“I suppose it’s possible.”
“I think most people have trouble working up the courage to admit it.” He kissed his way across her belly, which contracted tightly under his mouth. “I know I’m not a coward. How about you?”
“I’m usually not. But I’m a little afraid right now.”
He raised himself up on his arms over her. “Afraid of me, or of yourself?” He gazed directly into her eyes, not allowing her to look away. Tonight he would give her no quarter. She was going to be completely honest with him and with herself.
“Myself.” She sighed. “I see where you’re headed, and it scares me.”
“Where am I headed?”
“Toward a place where I have to face my feelings for you.”
“And that scares you?” he asked quietly.
“To death.”
He lowered himself toward her by slow degrees. His arm muscles bulged and her fingers strayed to his biceps. “I would never hurt you.”
“I believe you.”
He lowered his mouth to hers, stopping a mere breath away. “Then what is there to be afraid of?”
&nbs
p; “Reaching a point where there’s no going back.”
“That’s the entire point.” His mouth completed the journey and claimed hers, lightly at first, and then matching her hunger as she kissed him back. And so it went for the next hour. Every time she balked at opening herself to him, he gently insisted until she let go of her resistance. But finally she came to the point he was waiting for.
She grabbed him by the back of the neck, looked him in the eye and demanded, “Make love to me right now, or I’m going to have to hurt you.”
“Scarlet, Scarlet,” he chided. “So impatient.”
“I don’t care how strong you are. I’ll find a way to make you suffer.”
As if he wasn’t already suffering intense discomfort. Grinning, he eased himself up her body, until they were face-to-face. “You admit, then, that you have nothing left to hide from me?” He had literally explored every single inch of her body with eyes and hands and mouth, had claimed it all for himself, branded her irrevocably as his.
“Fine. I admit it,” she grumbled.
“And you also admit that I can play your body like a violin? That I can make you sing like an angel with pleasure and cry like a baby with need?”
“That’s it. I’m finding some part of you that I can break right now.” She reached for his fingers, and he yanked them out of her reach quickly.
“Aah, but if you broke my fingers, I couldn’t do this with them. Or put them here. Or here.” He plundered her body until she writhed upon his fingers, head flung back, eyes closed, keening in ecstasy.
Eventually, she rejoined him in the land of the living, panting, her eyes glazed.
“You were saying?” he murmured.
“What are you doing to me?”
“I’m treating you like the incredible woman you are. I’m showing you that you’re my woman whether you choose to admit it yet or not. And I’m about to make love to you until you can’t remember your own name.”
Her body shuddered against his. “That sounds lovely. And my name is Jennifer.”
