“There now,” she said, her lips quirking just a bit at the corners. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
He wanted to show her exactly how hard it was, but he didn’t think that would win him any points at the moment, so instead he just grunted, a sound so totally and unmistakably male that he actually heard her choking back a laugh.
He led her back up to the living room, this time taking hold of her small hand in his, just in case she changed her mind and tried to leave again. Surprisingly enough, she didn’t fight him. It mollified him somewhat. Her touch made his concession almost bearable. Almost. It still kind of chafed, though.
Once back in the private living area, he opened one of the doors on the left wall. This was clearly more what she had envisioned. The plaster walls were half-spackled. Dust cloths covered the large bed, the only amenity beside the single floor lamp. Huge, five-gallon white plastic buckets of primer and sealant were stacked throughout.
She nodded approvingly. “This is more like it.”
Jake shot her an ‘I’ll never understand women’ look. She patted his arm, the gesture innocuous and innocent, yet it shot bolts of sensation through his entire body.
“Thank you,” she said sincerely. He nodded. He didn’t understand it, but she was satisfied and more importantly – still here with him, so he wasn’t going to overanalyze. Even the pain in his chest at putting her in here eased slightly.
“Here’s the bathroom,” he said, showing her to a door at the far end and to the right. “It’s not pretty, but it’s functional. I’ll get you some towels and sheets.” He looked at her questioningly. “Assuming you’re okay with clean towels and sheets. Would you prefer to use the drop cloths instead? There’s some sandpaper over there, too, if you run out of toilet paper.”
She grinned and he swore every part of his body lit up from the inside. “I would very much appreciate clean towels and sheets,” she said. “I’ll get back to you on the sandpaper.”
He grunted again, making her laugh. “Anything else I can get you?”
The brief but powerful look of desire that crossed her face almost did him in, but even with his desire hitting critical levels he wouldn’t have taken her then. He wanted her wide awake, every sense at its most keen, for what he had in mind.
“No, thanks,” she said finally. “If it’s okay with you I am going to get a hot shower and crash for a few. What time do you need me downstairs?”
Jake did a few mental calculations – not an easy thing to do when so much of his blood flow had been redirected southward. The big game kickoff was slated for three, which meant they could expect a steady stream from two o’clock on. He and Ian could handle the afternoon easily; he’d need Taryn when the heavy crowds came in afterwards, around seven or so. That should give her plenty of time to rest up and be ready to go. Besides, his father and younger brothers were due back sometime today, but it could be pretty late, and he definitely didn’t want to subject Taryn to them while suffering sleep deprivation.
“How about six?” he said.
Taryn checked her watch. “Great. And Jake?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
In the time it took Jake to retrieve the items from his storage closet (and restore some semblance of control over his rampant lust), Taryn had already parked herself in the shower. He knocked on the bathroom door. When she didn’t answer, he nudged the door open a little and was blasted by a room full of steam and the most intoxicating scent he’d ever smelled. More powerful than his finest cognac, it filled his lungs, head, and body. Sweet and warm, like caramel, but with heady, musky overtones, ten times more potent than what he’d scented in the stairwell.
Jake had never put much stock in pheromones before, but damn if he wasn’t doing his own case study right now. Something about the way that woman smelled had him ready to release in his jeans. God help him if he actually imagined what she looked like naked with all that hot water sluicing over those incredible curves...
He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as his blood flow took another decided turn southward. If he stayed in there one more second he was going to jump right into that shower with her, and he had already decided he wouldn’t do that – at least, not yet. He hastily placed the towels on the sink and got out of there while he still had some measure of self-control, no matter how slight. He was going to take a shower too. Except his was going to be ice-cold.
One hour and two full tanks of water later, Jake felt only a little relief. What was it about her that drove him crazy? Her scent? Definitely. The way she looked at him with the amazing, multi-faceted eyes that seemed fathoms deep? Oh, yeah. Those lush curves that he just knew would be soft and willing beneath his touch and tongue? Uh-huh. But what really drove him over the edge? The way she stood up to him.
It made no sense whatsoever. Grown men shrank from his stare. Soldiers trembled in their combat boots with nothing but a look. But this tiny thing stood up to him, challenging his every word and deed. No one had ever done that before. It made him crazy. One minute he was ready to kill on her behalf; the next he wanted to pull her into his lap and spank her.
He had to know more about her; there was no question about that. The problem was, Taryn wasn’t exactly the open book type. If she was a normal woman, he would probably already know everything there was to know about her. Then again, if she was normal woman, he probably wouldn’t want to know. As it was, he found her... intriguing.
His subtle information extraction techniques over breakfast had not been successful. As he saw it, she had left him no other option. In choosing not to share, she was forcing him to take matters into his own hands. Some might consider what he had in mind a gross invasion of her privacy, but in this case, Jake believed the ends justified the means. Taryn had a problem; his gut told him that. Unless he knew what it was, he couldn’t help her. To a former SEAL and current off-the-books ops man, it was perfectly logical.
Besides, it was far less intrusive than his first choice, which would have been to just seduce the information out of her. Given the persistent ache in his lower anatomy, that was going to happen, just not yet.
Until he could have her naked and pliant in his arms, however, he’d make do with a little recon. With the stealth and silence born from his years as a Navy SEAL, Jake slipped into the spare room. Taryn was on her side, fast asleep beneath the sheets, her breathing deep and even. Her lips were parted just slightly; still-damp ringlets hung over her eyes. He couldn’t help himself. Ever so gently, he tucked back a few of the strands from her face. At the slight skim of his fingertips she sighed softly and murmured his name. In that very moment, Jake would recall years later, he lost his heart.
Quietly, he picked up her backpack from where she’d placed it beside the foot of the frame and backed slowly out of the room. He took it back into his room, then proceeded to empty the contents on his bed. He felt only the tiniest twinge of guilt, rationalizing that the more he knew about her, the more he could help her. There was no doubt in his mind that she did need him. She just didn’t realize it yet.
As he methodically removed the items, he noted their placement and laid them out in order. The first thing he pulled out was a wad of cash, mostly ones. Her tips from the previous night, no doubt. Further search revealed no other money. This was it? No wonder she was so eager to work.
Next he extracted a bag of apples from a farm two states away - only two were left – followed by a jar of peanut butter. That explained this morning’s breakfast. How long had it been since she’d eaten a decent meal? He would make a point of ensuring she had something to eat before she started working tonight. He wasn’t a chef by any means, but with seven men calling the place home base, the private kitchen always had good, hearty food and plenty of it.
There was a change of clothes, rolled tightly into a cylinder to occupy minimal space, which told him that she was accustomed to travelling light and/or having to be ready to go at a moment’s notice. Curious, he unrolled a pair
of jeans and a light-weight thermal top practical for fall weather, inhaling sharply when he discovered the black satin bra with matching thong within. Jesus. He let the thin material dangle from his fingers while his mind conjured up an image of her wearing only this. It did nothing to help the ache in his groin.
Jake took a deep breath. Only by calling upon years of self-discipline was he able to leash those salacious thoughts and continue. He picked up the tiny mp3 player and thumbed through the selections with interest, reasoning that the music a person listened to often provided useful insight.
His eyebrows raised and he let out a soft whistle when he recognized a few of the songs. It was darkly motivating kick-ass music, the kind of stuff some of his men would listen to before heading into enemy territory. Exactly what did she psych herself up for, he wondered?
Setting that aside, he turned his attention to the small mobile. It was one of those prepaid cells, untraceable and sold at every discount store in the country. There were no programmed numbers or contacts, with only one outgoing call early last evening. Probably the call to roadside assistance that got her towed to the garage, he reasoned.
The last item he removed was a faded snapshot of a young girl and an older man, hidden beneath a flap at the very bottom. The girl had long, jet black curls and shockingly violet eyes. Despite the difference in hair and eye colors, there was no doubt in his mind he was looking at a much-younger Taryn.
How old was she in that picture? Sixteen, maybe? Eighteen? Yet she still had those haunted eyes. What the hell had happened to her? And who was the man? Her father?
Jake looked closer. They were standing in front of a bar. Charlie’s Old Tyme Tavern, the sign read. At least now he had a starting point.
“Hey, big brother. What do you have there?” Ian strutted into the room, wearing nothing but a pair of loose gray sweats, his hair sticking out at impossible angles, looking for all intents and purposes like he had just managed to roll his ass out of bed. “Hey, that looks like –“
“Shut the door. Christ, don’t you ever knock?”
“What are you doing with Taryn’s backpack?” A knowing grin spread across Ian’s face. “She’s still here, isn’t she? Why didn’t you share, bro?”
“She’s sleeping in the spare room, idiot. Nothing happened.”
Ian stared at him in disbelief. “Well that is a damn shame. One I am going to rectify right now.”
Jake was at the door by the time Ian put his hand on the knob. “Not this one, Ian.”
Ian narrowed his eyes. “Not like you to be so territorial. What gives?”
Jake shook his head. If it didn’t make any sense to him, how could he possibly try to explain it to someone else?
“I think she’s on the run from something.” That’s it. He’d keep this conversation focused on her and away from the irrational, primal urge he had to keep her to himself.
“Why do you think that?” A familiar intensity lit behind Ian’s eyes, the one that he always got when he sensed a mission. Away from the field for nearly six months now, Jake knew that Ian was chomping at the bit for a little action.
“Look at this stuff. Is this the kind of stuff women usually carry around with them?”
Ian scanned the contents neatly spread out on the bed, noting the things that weren’t there as plainly as the items that were. “No ID?”
“Nothing. No credit cards, no wallet, no driver’s license, nothing.”
Jake started placing items back into the pack in exactly the same order he had taken them out.
“So our girl’s got some secrets,” Ian chuckled. Jake tensed a little. Was Taryn going to be “their girl”?
“Did you know she poured half a pitcher of ice down my pants last night?”
Jake’s train of thought halted as he stared at his brother. “She did what?”
“Yep,” Ian said, smiling ruefully at the memory. “I suggested maybe a little three-way action, but she didn’t go for it, apparently.”
“But I heard you in the back room.”
“Ah, heard that did you? Good, because you were meant to. I took one of the empty kegs back and found Kayla lying in wait for you. She was half-shot and mad as hell.”
“So you fucked her?”
“Well, duh. It was Kayla. You know what she’s like when she’s had a few. If I didn’t distract her she would have come out looking for you.”
“And found Taryn,” Jake finished. “Good point.” Kayla would have caused a scene for sure. She was known for her violent temper, especially after she’d had a few drinks. After having seen the fire light up in Taryn’s eyes, though, Jake would put his money on the little spitfire. “I owe you one, bro.”
Ian nodded, accepting it for what it was.
“So,” Ian asked, plopping himself down. “What’s the plan?”
That was one thing Jake really appreciated about his brother. No matter what, Ian was with him all the way. Only a few years apart in physical age, they were the closest of all the brothers – with the exception of the twins. Always had been.
“I’m not sure yet. Start with the tavern in the picture, see what we can find.”
“Her car’s down at Sean’s, right?” Sean was yet another Callaghan brother, one with an innate skill for engines and machinery. He ran the garage in town, and would be back sometime later that day with the rest of them.
“Maybe I’ll check that out while you grab a few Z’s.”
Jake nodded appreciatively. “Good idea.”
Ian started for the door, then hesitated. “How do you want to play this, Jake?”
Ian wanted Taryn too, Jake could sense it. He recognized the hunger in his eyes, the way he moved around her. To everyone else, Ian’s blatant flirting was playful, but Jake often likened Ian to the undertow of a riptide – it looked harmless enough from the beach, but ignore the warning signs and you found yourself getting pulled under before you even realized what was happening.
Jake hesitated; he knew what Ian was really asking, namely, whether or not he was staking a sole claim on Taryn. If so, he would never step over the line. At least that’s what Jake believed. He had never actually drawn a line before.
“Keep doing exactly what you’re doing,” Jake said after a few moments. “Pursuit only, no capture.”
“You want me to drive her right into you, don’t you?” Ian guessed, his eyes calculating.
“I want her to trust me.”
“And when she does?”
“Then we’ll see.” Would Jake ever be able to share Taryn with Ian? Even now he doubted it. Together they could pleasure her beyond her wildest fantasies, but for the first time in his life, he wasn’t sure he could handle it.
“We have to go in easy on this one. She’s in trouble,” Jake said when Ian continued to stare at him, as if that was a sufficient enough explanation, but even he knew it was rationalizing bullshit.
“With your sights locked on her, she sure the hell is. You’re scaring me, Jake. I’ve never seen you like this over a woman.” Jake didn’t respond to Ian’s challenge, and that was even worse. “Maybe we should pull Shane in on this.”
Jake was already considering that. Shane was Sean’s twin, younger than Ian. He had a photographic memory and an eerie ability to sense things about people, a sixth sense that had saved their asses more than once. If Taryn was hiding something, Shane would pick it up right away and be able to offer an insight that no one else could. If nothing else, he’d be able to point them in the right direction.
“Shane will be here tonight with the rest of them. Wouldn’t hurt to pick his brain, but keep it soft until we have a better idea of what we’re dealing with here.”
Ian looked at the backpack in Jake’s hands. Taryn was obviously highly mobile; everything clearly pointed to someone who was on the run and ready to clear out at a moment’s notice. “I don’t think we have a lot of time.” It was more than just an observation; it was a warning as well.
“She’s agreed to tend t
he next two nights in exchange for a place to crash,” Jake informed him. That gave them a little wiggle room, but not much.
Ian looked hard at his brother. “And then what?”
Jake didn’t want to think about that quite yet. “One step at a time, little brother.”
Chapter Five
Ian took advantage of the fact that Jake hadn’t expressly forbidden him from entering the spare room while Taryn slept. Jake had warned him against trying to seduce her, yes, but he’d never actually said that Ian should deny himself the pleasure of a little peek. And he had said that he wanted Ian to shepherd her toward him. To Ian, that amounted to pretty much the same thing as a green light. Besides, he figured, he’d earned it. While Jake slept, Ian had been a good boy and did a total sweep of Taryn’s car and done a little online research on Charlie’s Old Tyme Tavern. If anything, he was becoming as intrigued by their mysterious guest as Jake.
He slipped quietly into the room, wholly unprepared for the sight that greeted him. Taryn lay on her stomach, her face turned away from the door. The leading edge of the single white sheet rode low on her hips. Cascades of honey gold curls fell across her shoulders and halfway down her bare back; her arms were tucked under her head. Clearly visible on her smooth, pristine skin was the upper half of a dragon emerging from beneath the sheet.
The tattoo was intricate, done in hues of emerald green, black, and gold. The dragon itself was done in incredibly fine lines, protectively wrapped around a Celtic cross and surrounded with Celtic symbols that Ian thought looked vaguely familiar. The dragon’s head rested on her left shoulder blade as if peeking out over it; from what he could see, its body extended downward as though clutched around her hip. Ian tugged lightly at the sheet, his eyes following the dragon’s tail across her left flank. The image was mesmerizing. Tattoo or not, it was some of the best artwork he’d ever seen, a perfect blend of fantasy and darkness, surprisingly feminine and infinitely hot.
Ian’s attentions were solely focused on the details of the dragon as the rest of the image was revealed. It therefore came as quite a surprise when his head was jerked back roughly as Taryn grabbed a handful of his hair and flipped onto her back beneath him. Instinctively, Ian followed the momentum, rolling onto the floor with a loud thud and taking Taryn with him. His arms reached out to keep her from getting hurt while trying to take control of the situation. He stopped moving altogether, however, when he felt the blade of cold steel against his neck.
Dangerous Secrets: Callaghan Brothers, Book 1 Page 5
