by Lakes, Lynde
The man turned her to face him. “Lisa! It’s you,” Jay said. “What the hell are you doing creeping around here in the middle of the night?” His breath was warm and had the faint odor of bourbon.
“Take your hands off me!” The orange glow from the embers highlighted the angles and planes of his face. His dark eyes held no threat. Rather, they softened with genuine concern. He drew in a deep breath, his chest expanding against her breasts. He loosened his grip—she could easily leave his arms now. Something indefinable held her captive. She shivered. The resentment that had simmered between them a few days ago now boiled into a hotter, stronger emotion.
“Should I repeat the question?” he asked in a low voice that whispered across her face.
Lisa cleared her throat. “What question?” She sounded like an idiot… felt like an idiot. “Err… I couldn’t sleep. I was worried about Meta.”
“About Grandma, or yourself?” He held her gaze with penetrating eyes.
“I know what you think, Jay, but you’re wrong.”
“I doubt that you have any idea what I’m thinking.”
Jay’s smoldering look made her heart beat faster. His hold tightened again. Heat radiated from his body, charging the room with energy. His unrelenting stare sent flames of excitement coursing through her. “I was planning to make some hot chocolate,” she said, unable to move away, unable to escape him and the hold he had over her.
“I’m having a decaf-royal,” he said. “Will that do?” He turned on the desk lamp. A muted circle of light fell on a silver coffee decanter, several delicate glass mugs, and a bottle of Black Velvet bourbon.
Lisa laughed. “First you attack me and then invite me to have a drink with you?”
“Why not? It might improve your mood.” His wry grin revealed even white teeth and hints of sexy indentations framing tempting lips.
She couldn’t think of a quick comeback… couldn’t think at all. What was with his flip-flop behavior, and her own, because she didn’t refuse? Moreover, she had every reason to do so. She seldom drank anything with alcohol in it, and she definitely didn’t want to be here alone with him. The last forty-eight hours had thrown her out of balance. She was a professional bodyguard—tough, capable, not some weak-kneed teenager going all gushy over a great body, mesmerizing eyes, and a deep, seducing voice.
Jay continued to stare into her eyes. Time seemed to stop. When he finally released her, she felt a loss, then turmoil.
“I’m glad you came downstairs,” Jay said. “I want to apologize for the things Tom said.”
Lisa picked up the poker and stirred the embers, resentment flashing through her. “But not for the things you said?”
“Only for the way I said them.” His voice deepened. “Sorry if I’ve been rough on you.”
She shrugged and put the poker aside. God, with him looking at her like that, she couldn’t hold on to her insulation of anger––anger she desperately needed against whatever crazy thing was happening between them. He handed her the hot drink, and their fingers brushed. She took a quick sip of the drink to fortify herself. Its warmth merged with a rising internal heat. It was impossible to stop looking at him. What would it be like to feel his lips all fiery and firm on hers and to give in to the demanding pressure? Her face flamed.
“You’ve been wondering about the garlic, too,” he said. “Admit it.” She laughed. His eyes clouded. “I don’t get it. What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. I laugh when I’m tired.” Lisa took another sip. The burning sensation snapped her emotions back under control. Still, she held tightly to the glass mug and slowly stroked the rim. “Then you don’t believe I was the one who tried to poison Meta?”
“In spite of your strong motive, I know you didn’t.”
She frowned. “What motive?”
“Don’t you know?” Jay asked. “Meta put you in her will.”
“I told her not to do that.”
Jay studied Lisa’s face, free of makeup, hiding nothing, radiating forthrightness, honesty. He caught a whiff of lilacs. She smelled so good and looked so alluring in that shiny aqua getup. She had felt firm, yet totally feminine in his arms, and every time she moved, he heard the whisper of silk. His arms ached to hold her again, but touching her now would be a mistake.
“If you think I have a motive,” she said, “what makes you so sure I didn’t do it?”
“I saw you with Meta,” he said huskily. “Either you’re the greatest actress in the world, or you love her as much as I do. Besides, as her bodyguard, I assume your goal is to keep her alive, not kill her.”
“What about you, Jay? Are you in the will? Do you have a motive, too?”
She had done it again—another zinger! Tough questions from a tough lady. He had to remember that she was a trained bodyguard and an ex-cop, skilled in interrogations. Her luminous green eyes gave her away. She was baiting him, and thoroughly enjoying it.
“Yes, I’m in the will,” he admitted, “but I have no more interest in the money than you do.”
“What about Bud? You know your brother—is he capable of murder?”
The knot in Jay’s stomach tightened. Lisa’s directness got him every time. She was like his grandma that way, boldly wielding an iron fist in her velvet glove. He wished he were absolutely certain about Bud. “Unless he’s changed, he isn’t very capable at anything,” he muttered, then hurried on, “so, if the three of us didn’t switch the garlic for the poisoned chips, who else had a motive?”
“I’ll let it pass, for now, that you evaded the issue about Bud,” Lisa said. “I know how hard it is to consider a family member. So let’s look at the other dinner guests. Father Ryan wants this house. And Howard wants Meta to sell it to Cornel Drake so Drake will buy Howard’s place, too. Both Father Ryan and Howard had access to the kitchen.”
Jay snorted. “Surely you don’t think a priest poisoned her?”
“Of course not,” Lisa said. “I’m just listing those who had motive and opportunity.”
“You were the cook. Who else would even know that Grandmother liked minced garlic on her pasta?”
“You… Bud… anyone in your family. Maybe Howard and even Father Ryan. But only Meta can tell us everyone who knew of her preference.”
“If…” His voice broke, and he looked away.
The sadness in Jay’s demeanor told Lisa what he had been about to say—If Meta made it through the night. Moisture rushed to Lisa’s eyes. She pressed her lips tightly together and gently touched Jay’s arm. His grief was genuine. They both loved Meta.
After a moment, Jay cleared his throat and asked, “What do you know about Howard?”
“He’s been a good neighbor. And recently he’s shown a more personal interest in your grandmother.”
“I couldn’t miss the way they looked at each other,” Jay said. “How long has that been going on?”
“I hate to say it… but it started about the same time Cornel Drake appeared on the scene.”
“Do you think Howard has ulterior motives for spending so much time with Grandma?”
“I hope not. Meta really enjoys his company. That brings us back to Bud.”
Jay’s eyes darkened. “You could quit, Lisa. Walk away from this mess.”
“You’d like that,” she said. “But it isn’t going to happen.”
He laughed. “I know this will surprise you, but I can live with that.”
“Frankly, I couldn’t care less.”
“I doubt that.” He grinned. “Now, back to our problem. Experience tells me not to rule anyone out until all the facts are in.”
She held his gaze. “Even Bud?” Pin points of fury flashed in Jay’s eyes. Lisa slowed her breathing. Every time she mentioned Bud, Jay erected a protective wall. Brothers had a special bond, and she was a threat to Bud.
Jay picked up the wrought iron poker and weighed it in his hands. Lisa’s gaze darted to his face. Was this how Jay intended to get rid of her—frighten her into leaving? Or was the
danger greater than that? The heaviness of the .38 in her pocket didn’t reassure her. She tensed, ready for anything. The room went silent, except for their breathing. A trickle of sweat slid down her back. Suddenly, a wry glint in his brown eyes told her he was baiting her. Damn him.
“Meta told me that you were in the Air Force. What exactly do you do?”
“Investigations.”
“So, that’s what you do… spy on people. Figures.” She didn’t try to hold back the bite in her tone.
“You do a lot of slipping around and spying yourself.” He paused and searched her face. “If we both lay our cards on the table, it’ll be easier to work together. Build a foundation of trust, you might say.”
She held his gaze. “What if the evidence points to Bud or someone else in your family?”
“I’ll deal with it,” Jay said.
She didn’t move away when he took a step toward her and braced his arm above her head. She swallowed, and her heart beat a little faster. “Gus, the biker with a knife, is still at the top of my list. We know he’s capable of killing.”
“But he’d have to know about Meta’s habit of having minced garlic on her pasta and then get into the house without any of us seeing him make the switch.”
“If not Gus, then who?”
“We’re back to your family—Tom, your other cousins, and of course, good old Bud.”
“We still have the problem of explaining how anyone besides Bud could get into the house unseen. And what motive would Tom or my other cousins have?”
“Greed,” she said. “They’re all in the will, and maybe one or more of them want their inheritance now. Who would everyone in the family agree is the most dangerous?”
He studied his darkened and enlarged knuckles. “Me,” he said finally. A muscle twitched in his jaw.
“You?” She arched a brow. “Maybe we should talk about that.”
Jay sent her a sharp look. “Let’s stay focused on the problem.”
“We are.”
“I’m not the problem, Lisa.”
“Are you so sure?”
He glared at her, his expression angry, closed. Experience told Lisa that it would be better to press him about his past when he was more relaxed, more vulnerable. She looked down at her drink for a moment, drawing the silence taut. If she played this right, he would blurt out the whole story on his own before the day was over. “We can’t count on the police to come up with something,” she said, pretending she’d lost interest in Jay’s secrets. “I have a hunch that the contact lens will lead us to whoever is instigating the attacks on Meta.”
His glare softened. “It’s a place to start.” Jay’s voice sounded husky… distracted. He leaned toward her, his eyes suddenly softer.
Her breath caught. She flicked her tongue nervously over her lips. Oh my God, is he going to kiss me? She waited, knowing she should step out of his reach.
He raked his hand through his hair and backed away.
Disappointment surged through her. What am I thinking? He was a member of her client’s family. Besides, she didn’t have time for the complexity and contrariness of such an impossible attraction. She wanted to look down…up…anywhere but at him, but he held her gaze.
“I get it,” he said. “If we go on the premise that one person is behind everything, all we have to do is trip him up.” His eyes suddenly glinted with amusement. “It’s as simple as that.”
Lisa shook her head. “Sarcasm won’t get us anywhere.”
“Forgive my failed attempt at humor, Lisa. I can see you’re all business. Optometrists open around nine. What time shall we get started?”
“How do I know you won’t end up conspiring with your family against me when the chips are down?”
“Do you have a choice? Like it or not, I’m the only one who can keep my family out of your hair.” Jay raised a devilish brow. “Shall we seal it with a kiss?”
The taunting in his voice irked her big time. She thrust out her hand. “A handshake will do.” Even his firm, warm grip on her hand was more than she wanted to deal with right now. Besides, he probably wasn’t serious about the kiss. It was merely a distracting tactic. Still, she couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like to have his lips on hers, his body pressed tightly against her flaming skin.
Glints of laughter lit up his eyes as if he knew what she was thinking. Oh God, I’m in big trouble. With her emotions raging out of control, working with Jay would be like swimming against the force of floodwaters. “I’ll make up a list of Redlands optometrists,” Lisa said, hating the tremor in her voice. “Suppose we leave right after breakfast?”
Jay brought her hand to his lips and brushed it with a quick kiss. The tingling sensation made her draw a quick breath. She couldn’t let him have this effect on her, yet it was impossible to ignore the stirred feelings. He continued to hold her hand far too long. She forcibly withdrew her trembling fingers. The sooner she got away from him, the better.
Practically running from the room, she hurried up the stairs, her skin flushed from head to toe. Wanting him was unthinkable, but it gave her a warm, protected feeling to know Jay believed in her. With the police uncertain and most of Jay’s family against her, it was good to have a strong force like him in her corner. Lisa took a calming breath. She had a job to do. She had to find the killer before he got to Meta. Nothing must get in the way—not Jay, and not her runaway emotions.
A cold emptiness filled Jay when Lisa left the room. With all he had on his mind, he didn’t need sexual or emotional feelings getting in his way. What worried him was that the strong attraction he felt for Lisa might only be the tip of the flame. What if something more complicated was fanning the fire? He laughed. Perhaps it was his innate loneliness sensing in her the possibility of fulfillment. He looked down at his empty bourbon glass. More likely he was just getting soused.
Her perfume lingered in the air and clung to his clothes. He smiled. He’d relished the feel of her firm body in his arms, enjoyed the interplay of wits between them. He’d certainly met his match in her.
Why did he find strong women particularly intriguing? It was the curse of Corning men. He looked up at the portrait of his great-grandmother hanging over the fireplace. Her strength, so much like his grandmother’s, was perceptible even in the shadowy firelight. He poured another bourbon-laced decaf and silently prayed that his grandmother would be all right. He would stay until she was, no matter what he had to give up.
It was difficult to accept that the two things he’d worked for—his promotion and assignment to Germany—were within reach and could slip away. Jay stared into the fireplace, shaking his head as he recalled the major’s words. “You can’t leave now, Corning,” he’d said. “You have to appear at the promotion hearing in two weeks, and your assignment to Germany is tied to it. You lose one, and you’ve lost the whole shebang.”
Stirring the coals with the poker, Jay sighed heavily. He knew the costs only too well. If he lost what he’d worked for, a little piece of his self-esteem would go with it. Through his whole career, he had worked to prove to himself that he wasn’t a loser like his parents. There it was, his Achilles’ heel. He’d thought he’d moved past that long ago. But now his insecurity was raising its ugly head.
This city and its negative memories had reopened an old wound, and his childhood shame rushed back anew and raw. He had the urge to smash his cup into the fireplace and then go on a rampage and destroy the whole damned room. But his inner discipline and thoughts of his grandma lying in that hospital bed held him in check. Please God, I can get through anything, if only you’ll let Grandma live. What if she woke up alone and scared? He called a taxi and grabbed his jacket, wanting nothing more than to spend the night at her side.
Lisa heard a car engine and looked out the window. Jay was getting into a taxi. What was he up to? Had the hospital called? No, she would have heard the phone ring. Was he going to some bar? Or was he planning to force his way into Meta’s hospital room?
The flow of traffic was light, and Lisa made record time getting to the hospital. She found only one guard at the door. “Where’s the other guard?” she asked.
“Inside with Mrs. Corning’s grandson. The grandson made a big ruckus. We had to let him in, but don’t worry, we won’t leave him alone with her. She’s safe.”
Lisa peered inside. The room was dark, with the only light coming from the hallway behind her. Jay sat at Meta’s bedside holding her hand. Both grandmother and grandson were asleep, their faces at peace. The guard, Mark, sat on the window ledge watching his charge with bored eyes. He gave her a little salute of recognition, but remained silent.
She checked with the head nurse and learned that Meta’s vital signs had improved after her grandson arrived. Lisa didn’t know what to do next. If she returned home, she’d just lie awake all night worrying. She decided to join the slumber party in Meta’s room. She borrowed a pillow from a nurse’s aide and curled up in one of the chairs. What would Jay think when he woke up and found her there? He would know she didn’t completely trust him. She stared a moment at his strong, shadowy profile. She desperately wanted to believe that this man whom Meta loved so deeply was what he seemed—a truly caring man.
Lisa awoke at the sound of breakfast trays. Sunlight filtered through the Venetian blinds and painted patterns across the bedding. Meta was still asleep, Jay holding her hand. His eyes were open and fixed on Lisa, his expression glum, brooding.
A matronly, slightly overweight nurse bustled in, elbowed the guard out of her way, and opened the blinds. Meta stirred. She looked pale and weak as she slowly took in her surroundings and the two unexpected guests. “What a lovely surprise,” she said hoarsely. Jay handed her a glass of water with a straw and held it while she drank. When she finished she said, “I haven’t been to a slumber party since I was a girl. Thank you both for being here when I woke up.”
