by Katie Reus
To him, it wasn’t enough. “What is it?”
“Nothing. Sorry if I’m rambling. I do that when I’m nervous.”
“You’re not rambling. What about her mom?” He could listen to Sophie talk for hours.
She shrugged. “I love her mom, but lately she’s been hounding Hannah to get married and have kids even though she has four older brothers, all of whom are single.”
“Isn’t she a nurse?”
“The head nurse of the pediatrics ward. She’s young and ambitious, but it’s not what her family wants for her. Don’t get me wrong, her mom is really great. If it wasn’t for her, I’d have probably starved in college. She bugs me about settling down too, but she’s not as hard on me.” A small smile tugged at Sophie’s lips, and it nearly undid him.
From Sophie’s file he knew she was close to Hannah Young, but it was obvious she was close to the whole family. Hell, it sounded as though she considered them her family. It had been a long time since he’d prayed, but he decided to take a chance and throw up a silent one for her friend’s safety. If her friend died, it would shred Sophie. And anything that caused her pain was unacceptable.
Sophie barely concealed a yawn as they pulled into a cheap motel on the next island closer to the mainland. “Where are we?”
“Islamorada, and this place accepts cash. Stay here while I get us a room.”
She didn’t audibly respond, but nodded instead. Her red-rimmed eyes were glassy and tired. The one-story baby blue building looked the same as it had six years ago.
Once he’d secured a room and two keys, he found Sophie dozing against the headrest of the car. When he knocked on her window, her eyes flew open in a panic until she realized it was him.
She grabbed her purse and stumbled out. Luckily they were parked two spots down from their room, so he didn’t have to move the vehicle.
After opening the door, he gave her one of the keys. “Don’t open for anyone. I’ve got my own key.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll be back in five minutes.” He shut the door behind him without further explanation. Jack might not be able to do much for her, but he was going to make sure he took care of whatever needs he could.
Chapter 9
Kidnapping: the crime of unlawfully seizing and carrying away a person by force or fraud.
Sophie was too tired to argue or question him, so she simply locked the door and surveyed her surroundings. On the outside, the blue paint was chipping and a green-looking fungus covered the bottom half of the walls, but the room itself wasn’t too bad. There were two double beds, both with pink and blue floral comforters, and a table with a rotary telephone. She dropped her purse on the bed farthest from the door and stepped into the bathroom. At least they had soap and two toothbrushes. She quickly washed her face, then stripped out of her dress and wrapped one of the white towels around herself.
There was no telling when she’d have a decent change of clothes, and she wasn’t sleeping in this dress if she was going to have to wear it all day tomorrow. She left the bathroom light on, but turned off the lights in the main room.
As she slid under the crisp cotton sheet, the thin material had a cooling effect. She could practically feel the knot in the back of her neck loosen. So much had happened since that morning, it was hard to grasp that her world had turned upside down in the span of twenty-four hours. The only reason she was remotely able to relax now was that she’d talked to Hannah. Knowing her friend was getting out of town made dealing with everything else bearable.
She tensed at the sound of the doorknob rattling until Jack stepped in carrying a bundle of clothes. Like a laser, his gaze immediately narrowed as he fixated on the dress she’d draped over one of the chairs. Then he looked at her. Pure sex was in his eyes. It was so brief, but the look he gave her made her toes curl. He might not want to want her, but he definitely did. She didn’t know how it was possible, but his pale eyes seemed to darken as they raked over her face, all hot and hungry. For her. She actually got wet as he watched her. Her cheeks flushed and she was thankful there was no way he could tell her reaction. That hadn’t happened to her since she was seventeen going on eighteen. Only one person had ever gotten that reaction out of her. Being around Jack and those annoyingly familiar eyes brought back too many memories of Sam. Not to mention she couldn’t deny her growing attraction to the actual man in front of her. Not a memory.
Jack had such a dangerous yet sexy edge to him that it got her impossibly hot when it was the last thing she should be feeling. After that one escape attempt back at his condo, she’d been full-on prepared to try to run again. But after her boss’s shady behavior and then those men who’d stormed Jack’s place, she realized that she was a hell of lot safer with him than on her own. If she tried to leave she had no clue where she’d go. Not to mention that Hannah was supposed to be calling him and leaving a message when she got to safety. And strange as it sounded even to herself, Jack was the ultimate protector. He’d seemed so pissed that she’d been afraid of him. As if he could ever hurt her.
The gaze on his face right now was so raw she wasn’t sure what to do. Instinctively she pulled the sheet up higher, hoping he didn’t think she was trying to get him into bed. Although the thought was pretty damn appealing. So much so that the thought of dropping her cover and asking him to join her was sounding better and better. She couldn’t remember exactly how long it had been since she’d had sex—which said a lot about the state of her love life—but after the insanity of the last day she had no problem admitting she could find comfort in Jack’s arms. There was no doubt it would be a mistake, but it was one she’d make with open eyes.
She nodded at his hands and found her voice. “What is that?”
“A couple changes of clothes for you. And two pairs of shoes. These should fit.” Was it just her or was his voice unsteady?
“Where did you get those this late at night?”
He shrugged, but his heated stare never wavered from hers.
Warmth spread across her lower belly as her nipples hardened. The way Jack stared at her was different. He looked at her as if she was special. Not just another pretty woman. And she wanted . . . him. Damn it, she wanted him so bad her body ached for the feel of his hands and mouth stroking over her entire body. Maybe if she imagined or willed it hard enough, he’d do something about it. She was tempted to make a move on him or at least let him know she was willing, but if he rejected her after the day she’d had, she’d probably die of embarrassment. And there was nowhere to go if he did. She’d be stuck with him and her own humiliation.
When he cleared his throat she realized she’d been staring at his mouth. “Did you steal those from someone’s room?”
Jack lifted a dark eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his expression. “I can return them if you’d like.”
“No way.” She smiled and fell back against the pillow. She was tossing those stupid sneakers tomorrow.
They stared at each other for a long moment. Cotton filled her mouth when his gaze fell to her lips. She wondered if he was remembering that kiss. Unable to take his scrutiny any longer when it was obvious he didn’t plan to do anything about it, she rolled onto her side and punched her pillow. Behind her, the creaking of his bedsprings cut through the otherwise silent room. Sophie bit back a frustrated groan. She’d been ready to pass out minutes ago, but now she was wide awake and wondering what was going on in Jack’s head. She shouldn’t care, but the man was a mystery. A very sexy mystery. She should just keep her mouth shut and stay as detached from him as she could until this whole mess was over. Too bad that wasn’t going to happen.
“Jack?”
“Hmm?”
“Can I ask you something?” Oh boy, she was so going to regret asking this, but there was no way to stop herself.
“Sure.”
“Earlier, in the closet . . . Di
d I misread, uh . . .” Her face heated as she struggled to voice what she meant.
“No, you didn’t. . . . I’m attracted to you. Very attracted. We have to keep this professional, Sophie. There’s too much at stake.” His deep voice was exceptionally low in the quiet room.
So he wanted her and she wanted him. She’d known it, but hearing him say it sent tingles racing along her nerve endings. Unwanted heat pooled between her legs as she imagined all the things he could do with those big hands. At that moment she was very thankful he couldn’t see her expression.
With her back still facing him, she spoke again. “Where are you from?”
“What?”
“You have a file on me, right?”
“You know I do.”
“So you know things about me you have no right to know. I just want to know where you’re from.” It was a fair request.
He was silent for so long she wasn’t sure he’d answer. “I’m from Miami too.”
His pause made her think he was actually telling the truth. Or maybe that was just some spy trick to make her believe him. “Really?” It wasn’t actually that surprising, considering the way he’d maneuvered around the city, as though he was extremely familiar with the area in a way only locals were.
“Yes, really. Will you please try to get some sleep?” He yawned and she knew it wasn’t real.
“That fake yawn is pathetic and just so you know, the attraction isn’t one-sided. If you change your mind I’m right here.” Sophie’s chest tightened as she said the words she’d never have been able to say if she’d been facing him. It was out of character for her to be this bold, but with people trying to kill her, she was going to do exactly what she wanted.
From the moment they’d been introduced, she’d been more than aware that Jack was a good-looking man. Even when she hadn’t trusted him and had thought he was a potential criminal, her body had flared to life with something raw and unexplainable. Something that had only happened to her in Sam’s presence. In her experience, outward appearance didn’t mean anything. Looks would fade and good-looking, charming people could be angry and cruel underneath the surface.
Truth be told, despite her original primal draw to him, it was seeing him in action and a strange familiar quality about him that triggered real awareness on her part. When he’d kissed her back in Miami, she’d felt it all the way to her pinky toes. It was as if she’d been hit with a live wire and it had woken up some long-dormant part of her. None of the men she’d ever dated after Sam had been able to affect her with just a kiss. Until Jack. Mr. Tall, Sexy, and Inappropriate Timing.
The sound of Jack moving against the sheets interrupted the quiet of the dark room and silenced her thoughts. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she actually felt safe in a bone-deep sort of way. Ironic, considering the circumstances. Tomorrow she’d have a billion things to worry about. For now, her body and mind needed time to recover. Or at least rest. Closing her eyes, she let the blackness of sleep overtake her.
• • •
Sophie flopped down on the towel next to Sam, stretching out on her stomach. “It’s getting so hot,” she complained. “Come in the water with me.”
He hated the fucking beach with all the sand and nothing to do, but with Sophie, he had plenty to do. Namely, watch her. Well, and watch out for her. It pissed him off how many guys checked her out. It was so blatant. She didn’t seem to notice, though. That was the only thing that made the constant tension humming through him ease.
They’d been coming to the beach the past two months every weekend. She loved it and it was free entertainment. And it kept them out of Ms. Bigsby’s hair, which was a big plus. He’d learned long ago not to piss off decent foster parents. Ms. Bigsby wouldn’t win any parenting awards, but she didn’t beat them and she kept them fed and clothed. Both he and Sophie tried to be as trouble free as possible, and the lady liked them well enough. Being away from the house gave the old woman her space and she got a paycheck for letting them live there. They were all happy. And safe.
He started to roll over onto his stomach to talk to her, but stood when he saw Marco, a guy from his baseball team, walking toward them. “Hey, man.” He nodded at the guy. They weren’t tight, but they were close enough.
“Hey, Sam. Some of the guys are grilling and playing volleyball. Bring your girl and join us if you want.” He nodded politely at Sophie, who had turned over and smiled at him.
Sam forced himself not to stare at her. When she was wearing a bikini that covered practically nothing, it was damn hard not to. She was so tan and lean, and all he wanted to do was feel her body against his. He kept his gaze off her, though. He’d just gotten his body back under control and he refused to embarrass himself in front of her and his teammate.
“We were just about to hit the water, but we’ll come over later?” he asked.
Marco nodded, then gave Sophie’s body a lingering look that Sam recognized all too well before heading back to the group of six guys and three girls about twenty yards from them.
“We can go over now if you want.” Sophie stood, brushing sand off her slender legs.
His gaze strayed down the length of her lean body and he abruptly turned away from her, facing the direction of the water. “We’ll go later,” he said curtly.
“Jeez, what’s wrong with you? I thought you liked Marco.” She nudged him with her hip as they headed to the glistening Atlantic.
She’d left her dark brown hair down so that it fell in soft waves down her back, and the plain black bikini she wore barely covered her breasts. Probably because it was a couple of years old. The little triangles should be illegal; they barely covered her nipples. So what was wrong with him? He was starting to get a hard-on at the beach and they were surrounded by hundreds of people—some of them his friends.
As soon as they reached the water, relief coursed through him. When he was waist deep, he breathed out a sigh—until Sophie jumped on his back and wrapped her legs around him. She was so much shorter than him and she always did this so he could carry her out deeper. He loved the feel of her almost naked body on his, but today he was edgy. It was getting harder and harder not to make a move on her.
“You want to see a movie later tonight?” she asked, her mouth right next to his ear.
The feel of her warm breath made goose bumps break out across his skin. “Sure, what do you want to see?” He couldn’t tell if his voice sounded strangled or not.
She didn’t seem to notice. “I don’t care. Anything that keeps us out of the house is fine.”
When they reached a short sandbar, she jumped off his back and dove underwater. As she came back up, she slicked her hair back and grinned at him before splashing him. She was the combination of every fantasy and wet dream he’d ever had. Water rolled down her tan body and he could see the outline of her nipples—which had been taunting him for months. He was dying to see what they looked like, to taste them. To know what color they were. He couldn’t even smile at her when she splashed him again. He felt like such an asshole, but he couldn’t force the muscles to work. Sitting on the sandbar, he rubbed a wet, salt-tinged hand over his face.
“What’s wrong? Are you mad at me?” She sidled up next to him, hesitation in her voice.
He hated that he’d put it there. She was so damn sensitive and sweet. She’d been dealt a shitty hand in life and she always kept up walls. It was why she never even noticed when the guys at school checked her out. Either she didn’t want to notice or she didn’t care. But with him she was different and he knew he had to be careful with her. He could never hurt her. It would kill him inside if he did.
“I could never be mad at you, Soph. I just . . .” He trailed off, not wanting to say something stupid that would hurt their friendship. He felt so much for her. So much that it scared him, but he wouldn’t risk accidentally pushing her away if she didn’t feel the
same. Some days he really thought she might want him, especially when she looked at him as if she wanted to kiss him. But she was so guarded it was too hard to tell.
“What? Tell me now,” she demanded in that haughty voice she only used with him. The girl had such a temper sometimes. It was buried deep, but when she let it out, it stunned him—and turned him on.
“Or what?” he teased, needing to lighten the mood. If he could get her mind off the way he’d been acting and what he’d almost admitted, things could go back to normal. And he could act normal. He just needed to get on even footing again.
“Or . . . or . . .” She sputtered for a moment before lunging at him, tackling him in the shallow water. “I’ll make you tell me.” She took him off guard, rolling over him and pushing him back in the water with a splash as her body covered his. Soph started to tickle him, but froze as her legs splayed over him.
It was the worst possible position for them to be in. Usually he could hide his erection or get it to go away by thinking of things not-Sophie, but she was practically straddling his lap. Lifting herself up on her legs, she tried to back away, but her knees sank into the sand and she rubbed her groin right over his hardness. He let out a groan and she sucked in a deep breath, but neither looked away from each other.
Her dark eyes widened and she sat back down, completely straddling him now. The water was calm, the waves small and barely rippling around them. He could hear people on the beach and there were a few in the ocean a good distance from them, but all his focus was on Sophie and her reaction to this. To him.
She swallowed hard. “Are you . . .” Her cheeks flushed bright red.
He was pretty sure his face matched hers. “Yeah.”
“Is it because of . . . me?” She bit her bottom lip nervously.
He wanted to lie. He ordered himself to. But he couldn’t. Lying to Soph was damn near impossible. How could she not know how he felt about her? “Yeah.”
