Stony-eyed she challenged him. “People? Are you talking about those men who visit at night?”
“What people?” Fingers tucked in the loops of his jeans, he waited for her to go on.
“Don’t play dumb with me. Ever since I’ve been here two weird characters have visited you at odd hours.” She chuckled dryly. “Course at first I thought you were dealing.” Then realizing she’d let that slip, she clapped a hand over her mouth.
“You thought I was selling drugs.”
She nodded.
Noel’s eyeballs rolled to the ceiling. “Just my luck. The woman I’ve fallen in love with thinks I’m doing something illegal.”
Eden’s hand fell to her side. He couldn’t be serious. His comments were meant to divert her from the subject and that was all. Just as she’d done previously, she ignored his admission of love and put the conversation firmly on track. “Who are those men, anyway?”
“Agents.”
His answer floored her. Agents, as in FBI? Could this be another lie? “Why would you have friends who are FBI agents?”
Noel wrapped a strand of Eden’s hair loosely around his fingers and looked her in the eye. “I don’t remember saying FBI. Even so, it’s not that unusual. Friendships run the gamut in my business. Diversity’s the name of the game.”
Eden slapped his hand and stepped back, forcing him to loosen his grip on her hair. She wasn’t buying the story. “So what you’re saying is that until your friends uncover these people’s identities, we’re to continue like everything’s normal? We’re to wait like sitting ducks till there’s another attempt on our lives?”
Noel’s fingertips outlined the curve of her jaw. “Did I say that?”
Eden tamped down her emotions. She needed to focus, to get a handle on the whole sordid mess. Noel’s touch evoked irrational feelings and curtailed her ability to think. Despite his declarations of love, and a heart pumping like crazy, every instinct screamed he was lying. “Why is it such a big deal to get the police involved?” she managed to get out.
The tips of his fingers outlined her lips. “Because I’m quite capable of protecting you.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. Over the fluttering in her stomach, she heard the beat of his heart. She would have followed him to Hades if he’d asked her.
The shrill ringing of the phone intruded on the moment. She’d had her number changed. Who could be calling?
“Want me to get it?” Noel groused.
“If you wouldn’t mind.”
He took purposeful strides toward the phone, grabbed the receiver and growled. “Yeah?”
“It’s for you,” he said, angling the phone in her direction.
She accepted the phone with more than a little trepidation. “Hello.” A smile replaced her puzzlement when she heard Lori Goldmuntz’s cheery greeting. “One mystery solved,” Eden said after the conversation ended.
Noel quirked an eyebrow and folded his arms. “Well, are you planning on keeping me in suspense?”
Though tempted, she knew there would be no rest till she filled him in on the conversation. “I got us an answer. Some of the guys handling cargo have since been laid off. One of them told Lori’s husband, Michael, that the organ was scheduled for delivery to Baylor Hospital. What’s our next move?”
Noel chewed the inside of his jaw. “I think I’d like to find out who was responsible for sending it and who would have met the flight on the other end. Any hope of speaking with Michael’s source?”
Eden tried to follow the way his mind worked while bits of the dream wormed its way through her thoughts. “I suppose I could ask. Do you think there was something else inside that box beside a human body part?”
“Perhaps.”
She looked at him, at the same time grappling with his response. “Does that mean you no longer think mechanical issues contributed to the crash?”
Noel stared out of the living room’s floor-to-ceiling window before turning back. His words were measured. “Now did I say that? I just want to explore all the possibilities.”
Eden continued to challenge him with her gaze. “Good. Because given the number of maintenance problems that aircraft had, it seems amazing there were so few delays.”
“You’ve got a point. And that lead’s definitely something worth pursuing, but not now.” He left his position at the counter and sauntered toward her. “What say we let this whole thing rest temporarily and go out and have fun?”
Eden tossed him a skeptical look. “You couldn’t possibly mean play hooky?”
“Just for a little while?” Invading her personal space, he touched his finger to her lips. The same index finger now traced the curve of her bottom lip. His breath caressed her neck, and his closeness did funny things to her breathing.
“I’m thinking of taking the Zodiac out,” he said. “Join me?”
“Okay.” It was an opportunity she could hardly pass up. She’d always loved the water, and it had been years since she’d been out on the lake. Besides, she would be a liar if she didn’t admit that being in the small, motorized boat with Noel held a certain appeal.
Other people were out enjoying the day, because Lake Washington was dotted with assorted small craft when they set off. Using the space and time to observe him, Eden sat on the far side of the Zodiac while Noel manned the helm. He’d told her he loved her. She just wasn’t sure she believed him. He’d also been deceptive about his career. What else was he hiding?
Noel guided the boat effortlessly out to deeper water.
Eden’s gaze drifted to the beautiful and expensive homes on the shores of the lake. Her fingers trailed the water, testing the temperature. Ice-cold. Logically, the lake’s coolness should have provided a soothing balm to her overheated skin. Yet for some unfathomable reason she remained on edge, unable to shake the feeling they were being watched.
“Eden, see over there,” Noel said, pointing a slender finger toward the shores of Lake Washington. “That’s Bill Gates’ house.”
Awed, Eden stared at the opulent mansion. “My God, it’s monstrous.”
“Forty-thousand square feet to be exact, and probably the equivalent in millions to build. Hey, are you okay? Are you cold?”
She shook her head to reassure him, suppressing the involuntary shiver that slithered down her spine. The day was brisk, but the sweatshirt should have warmed her, and the breeze should have felt wonderful on her face. Why then did she have the feeling someone had walked across her grave?
“I’m fine,” she lied. “It’s just that I have this eerie feeling we’re being watched.”
“On shore, probably half-dozen pairs of binoculars are trained on us.” He produced a Thermos of coffee. “Try not to be so paranoid.”
She shot him a withering look and gratefully accepted the Styrofoam cup he handed her. Paranoid, huh! Was that really what he thought about her?
“Try to relax and allow me to play tour guide,” Noel said, his tone softer.
Eden sipped her coffee, refusing to look him in the eye. She focused on the cleft in his chin, resisting the urge to trace the indentation. He couldn’t be in love with her. She quickly looked away, her attention now on the surrounding small craft; an interesting assortment, running the gamut from jet skis to expensive power cruisers. One boat in particular seemed to be closing in on them.
Eden realized Noel, too, was concerned by the big boat’s proximity. Though seated, he’d taken on the stance of a prizefighter.
“Noel, do you think it’s following us?” Eden’s voice was barely a whisper.
“I’m not sure.”
The speed of the Zodiac picked up as he aimed the boat toward the center of the lake. The Sea Ray Weekender followed at a more respectable distance.
Eden gulped her coffee, deciding she’d let an overactive imagination get the best of her. Most probably the Weekender held a local family out for an afternoon of pleasure cruising. It had to be coincidence that they took a similar r
oute. She turned on the boom box Noel had laid on one of the seats, found an R & B station, and said brightly, “Don’t you just love Sade?”
“Actually, she’s one of my favorites.”
His response surprised her. So far they hadn’t a whole lot in common, except for this unexplainable physical attraction.
The tune ended and another one began. “I’m old school. Do you feel the same way about Ashford and Simpson?”
Noel smiled a dazzling white smile, the ebony of his skin even more pronounced today. She resisted the urge to take his face between her hands and feel the coo1 texture of his skin beneath her palms. What had come over her? All she could think about was him. The Weekender behind them gunned its engine. Eden turned around. She got a glimpse of the man at the helm, dark brown hair drawn back in a ponytail, wraparound sunglasses covering his eyes. He looked vaguely familiar. The cruiser’s speed picked up. No mistaking, it headed directly for them.
“Hold on, we’re in for a rough ride,” Noel shouted, getting her attention.
Stomach lurching, Eden clutched the handles on the sides of the Zodiac. She closed her eyes; trying her best to ignore the boat’s erratic movements as it came down hard. No way could they hope to outrun the cruiser.
Over the churning of her stomach, Eden heard Noel yell, “Get ready to swim.”
As the Weekender bore down on them, she managed a shaky nod. The bow was dangerously close now. Shiny chrome railings glinted in the sunlight. The man behind the wheel smiled, gunning the engine again. “On the count of three we’re going over the side. One, two, three.”
Icy water closed over Eden’s head. She felt herself sinking but summoned all her willpower and came up kicking and sputtering. She shook water from her eyes and tried to focus. Floating beside her were the remnants of the Zodiac. The speedboat was long gone, only a white trail remained. Panic set in as she realized there was no sign of Noel.
After a second or so, when Noel still hadn’t surfaced, her imagination went wild. He’d never made it out the Zodiac. Were those little bits of him she saw floating beside the mangled rubber? Treading water and gulping mouthfuls of air, Eden looked up into a deceptively blue sky. Her heart beat wildly while fragmented bits of advice from her swimming instructors came in incomplete sentences. Conserve energy—don’t overreact—when tired float. Had anyone even witnessed that they’d come this close to being murdered? What if no one came to their rescue?
Eden’s body convulsed, and the roaring in her ears filled her head. In moments she would be in the throes of a full-fledged panic attack, and there wasn’t a thing she could do about it. As the real world receded and shock set in, she was unable to make even minimal effort to keep her head above water. She gave in to the sinking sensation. Then suddenly she was buoyant, gulping in huge breaths of air and fighting the arms that encircled her. She hadn’t survived to be taken dawn by the Loch Ness monster.
“Ouch! Take it easy,” a familiar, gravelly voice growled. “You’ll drown us.”
Reality check. They were both safe and alive. “Thank God, Noel,” she said, her arms clinging to his neck.
“Yes, baby we’re alive. We’re alive.”
For the first time Eden realized that boats were coming to their rescue, closing in around them. The nearest, a sleek sailboat, held a chubby blonde squeezed into a red bikini. She hung over the side next to a companion of equal proportions. The man held a life preserver. He tossed the ring in their direction.
Together they reached for it, hanging on for dear life, as their rescuers shouted words of encouragement.
Chapter 12
Two days later, Eden was still shaken up by what happened. Noel had stopped by to check on her.
“How you doing?” he asked, handing her a mug of piping-hot coffee.
“Fair to middling,” she said, accepting the cup and setting it down on the coffee table, deliberately avoiding his eyes.
“Only fair to middling? That doesn’t sound good. Does the ankle still hurt?”
She shook her head.
Noel gingerly picked up her feet, eased into the vacant spot on the sofa, and placed her ankles on his lap. He made a place for Kahlua. The cat rubbed her head against Noel’s arm, meowing coyly. He scratched the feline behind the ear. “Hungry, girl?”
“Hardly. She eats non-stop.” Eden bent forward to stroke Kahlua’s head. “More likely she’s looking for attention.”
“Just my luck to attract the wrong female,” Noel muttered.
“Do you do that a lot?”
He chose to ignore her, instead concentrated on the purring cat nuzzling against him. Darting a glance Eden’s way, he felt the tightness in his groin.
She looked adorable, swaddled in an ancient terry-cloth robe and a towel wrapped around her head. And although she made a valiant effort to pretend she didn’t know he was looking at her, her body language said otherwise.
“So how are you really?” Noel asked, noting the tight lines around her mouth.
Eden sipped her coffee and took her time answering. “As I indicated earlier, the ankle’s no longer a problem. I’m still shaken up though.”
Noel ran a hand over the fuzzy socks covering Eden’s arches. “And you have every reason to be. Imagine what would have happened if those yachters hadn’t come to our rescue—”
“I don’t even want to think about it.”
“Did the police grill you like they did me?”
Eden nodded. “But I don’t think they took me seriously. I think someone convinced them the guy at the helm was drunk. In any case, they’d already made up their minds it was an accident. Now you and I know that’s bull.”
Noel snorted. Despite the police speaking with eyewitnesses on several boats, it was his quick thinking and charm that had saved their butts. God had most definitely been on his side, assigning him two rookie cops, so overwhelmed to meet the infamous Noah Robbins, they’d become tongue-tied. And when he’d produced the ID to support his claim, they’d done everything short of lick his boots. He’d even pretended to take them into his confidence and admitted he was undercover. That strategic move had ensured him friends for life. Cops understood the need for secrecy.
The story he’d given them wasn’t entirely true. Still, they appeared to buy what he’d said. Had either of them watched the news on the east coast, they would have known he was considered missing. At least that was the story the department had agreed to go public with. It beat saying he was in hiding, or even worse, had been forced to take a vacation.
The real truth was he’d been removed from the investigation. Gary’s boss had decided Ty’s death had caused Noah to lose his objectivity—that he could no longer be impartial. In a sense, that was true. Avenging his friend’s death was all consuming, and finding someone to blame was now a personal crusade. He still remained resolute even after being taken off the case. He was bent and determined to find Ty’s killer, even if he had to identify the person posthumously. Not even Eden would stand in his way.
“Noel, you’re a million miles away.”
He shook his head to clear it. Day by day it had gotten easier to remember to answer to “Noel.”
“What’s that, honey?” He shifted his gaze and focused on Eden. Caught staring, she lowered her eyes. Had his endearment made her that uncomfortable? Taking advantage of her unease, he set Kahlua on the floor, ignoring the cat’s angry meow, and lifted one of Eden’s sock-covered arches to his lips. He kissed the instep.
“Noel…” Eden squirmed, attempting to free her foot.
Her ankle felt so tiny in his hand. He turned over her foot and planted a kiss on the sole.
“Stop it,” she hissed, swatting his arm.
Noel’s free hand captured her wrist. Slowly, he brought the palm to his lips and blew against the flesh. “Didn’t you say you thought you might have seen the operator of the Weekender before?”
Eden’s breath came in little gusts. “You’re deliberately trying to distract me, quizzing me while I�
��m weak and vulnerable.”
Noel could tell she was trying to make light of the electricity jolting off both of them. He suckled a finger. “Nope. Just curious. I thought maybe the man’s identity had come to you.” He sounded as if he were out of breath. She made him feel like he had run a mile.
He captured her pinky in his mouth and bit down gently, letting his tongue circle, then captured another finger.
Noel removed her feet from his lap and swung her into a sitting position. Taking her chin between his palms, he stared into her eyes. “Baby, that little incident scared the hell out of me. I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you.”
His admission gained her full attention. “Actually, I thought I’d lost you too.” He heard the catch in her voice. It sounded like she was hurting. Maybe she did care for him after all.
Hiding his surprise, he pressed the point, sensing she was now willing to listen. “Eden, I get this idea you think I’m joking when I say I love you. You’re responsive to my touch, yet you shut down almost immediately if I put my feelings into words. Am I rushing things? Are you still in love with Rod? If that’s the case, I’m willing to wait. It’s not like I’m unreasonable.”
For a moment her cognac-colored eyes flickered. He sensed she was about to say something. His ego desperately needed reassurance. He couldn’t be that far off base. Instinct told him she cared. His instincts had never failed him before.
Before Eden could look away, he dipped his head, claimed her lips, and probed gently, seeking an opening. An intimate dance began as their tongues melded, separated, and rejoined in an ancient game of hide-and-seek. He needed to find out how she really felt about him. His feelings weren’t purely one-sided, that was for sure. His fingers plucked the belt of the terry-cloth robe, loosening the tie just enough to let him in. His hands stroked soft silk, and he buried his nose in the hollow of her neck, inhaling her smell. Honey and almond. A nectar too sweet to resist. He wanted to drink her up. He pressed his body against hers. She had to feel how much he wanted her and needed her in his life.
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