She tentatively ventured an observation. “If that’s the case it could be someone who had nothing to do with John Vincent, someone who felt threatened by what else those two witnesses might know and used John’s death as a convenient cover for the real motive. That means there isn’t anything I could know or any information I could provide you that would help solve the case.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “It also means that I’m not a threat to whoever is behind this chain of events, that killing me doesn’t gain anything for them.”
She immediately recognized the implications of that line of speculation. The murder of the other witnesses was nothing more than an attempt to cloud the issue and obscure the real motive. The odds against solving the crimes would be greatly increased. It also meant that there might never be an end to her danger, that she would spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder and being afraid every time she heard a noise in the shadows. It was not the way she wanted to live her life.
She picked up the photographs of Pat and stared at them. “There’s something familiar about this man. I wish I could figure out where I’d seen him.”
“If anything strikes you, no matter how insignificant you think it is, let me know right away.”
Brad leaned back on the bed, propped up on one elbow. He studied her as she concentrated on the photos. He had watched her change over the past few days. At first she was skeptical of what he had told her, almost defiant. Next there was anger, but he had chalked that up to her attempts to cover up her fears. The anger didn’t last long, quickly turning into a brave front that he found admirable. He had been right about her from the beginning—strong, independent and self-reliant.
Then there was the softness underneath, a vulnerability that was far from being a weakness. Her words still lived in his mind, her confession that she had never trusted anyone before but she trusted him. It had touched him on an emotional level in a way he had never before experienced, emotions that ran deeper than he wanted them to. He had closed off that part of his life when his wife had been killed. Brad didn’t know if he could cope with that type of emotional upheaval again by allowing his vulnerability to be exposed. Their relationship had to be kept on a business level. He had to protect her from harm. No matter what, Brad had to do everything he could to justify her trust.
But how, when he didn’t know where that harm was coming from or why? And more to the point, would he be able to keep his distance? That first kiss had opened a floodgate that he hadn’t been able to close. She possessed a sensuality that knocked him for a loop and that had continued to keep him slightly off balance from the moment his lips first brushed against hers. He wondered what the night would bring and how much intimacy he dared pursue. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel obligated….
“I’m sorry.” She placed the photographs of Pat on the nightstand. “I can’t pull it up from the back of my mind. I’ve seen this man before, but I don’t know where. I know it wasn’t recently, not during the time frame of the John Vincent trial or since then.”
Her words had cut into his thoughts. It was just as well, as he didn’t like where those thoughts were going. “That’s okay. Maybe if you don’t concentrate on it so hard it will come to you.”
“I hope so. It’s frustrating knowing I have a piece of information that might help but not being able to remember it.”
Brad checked his watch. It was five o’clock. “I need to make a call before it gets any later.”
She listened intently as he called Thom Satterly and said he would be taking a few days’ sick leave, that he’d been moving some furniture at his condo and had wrenched his shoulder, which aggravated the wound that had put him on restricted duty.
“That should do something to stir up things. At the very least it will buy me a couple of days away from the office and at the most it could smoke out whoever the culprit is within the organization.”
Brad sorted through the files and notes scattered across the end of the bed. “I’m not sure which angle to pursue. If revenge is the motive, that makes it a much more personal matter for someone than it would be for one of John’s business associates. People involved in John’s illegal operations wouldn’t mourn his death to the point of wanting to get even. With him out of the way they would be able to take over permanently without interference from him when he got out of prison. That would feed into the theory that only the protected witnesses were the target because of what else they knew and the rest is smoke screen. It would also mean that the culprit could be any of dozens of people connected with organized crime, whose only goal is to silence those on the inside of the organization who had provided information and testified.
“But, on the other hand, if revenge is the motive, it narrows down the list of suspects to a very small select group. And either way, it still leads to the very real possibility of someone inside the Marshals Service being involved at least to the degree of providing information about the protected witnesses. So…” He leveled a steady gaze at Tara. “Any thoughts or suggestions you’d like to contribute?”
“Well…” She hesitated as she tried to organize her thoughts. “It seems to me that for someone to be able to locate and hire a contract killer of the caliber of Pat, that person would need to have some sort of organized-crime connections of their own. You can’t look up hired killer in the Yellow Pages.”
“A very good point. So, using that premise, we’d go with the idea of the majority of the murders being a smoke screen to hide one or two killings and we’d eliminate the revenge motive.”
She glanced at the floor for a moment, then regained eye contact with Brad. “Does this mean I’m finally off your suspect list? That you believe I didn’t have anything to do with these events?”
“It was a possibility I had to acknowledge, otherwise I wasn’t doing my job properly.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. His voice dropped to a seductive whisper. “You were never a serious suspect.”
“I have another question.” An emotional lump formed in her throat, almost as if it was an attempt to keep her from speaking. But it was a question she needed to ask, something she needed to know. She looked up, her gaze locking with his for an intense moment.
Brad frowned in confusion. “Tara?” He reached out and brushed his fingertips against her cheek, then slid his hand along the side of her neck and finally cupped her chin. “What’s wrong? Is there some problem I don’t know about?”
He sounded so genuine, his conscientious concern for her safety so real. No one had ever cared about her this much even if it was only his job and not a personal involvement. But when he kissed her…every time his lips touched hers…it all seemed so very personal and incredibly exciting.
She forced out the words. “I’m still worried about whether this—” she gestured around the room, encompassing everything “—would put you in trouble with your boss. Will what you’re doing, going against what you said were specific orders not to pursue this case, cost you your job…your career?”
He wasn’t sure how to respond to her concerns. Her own life was in constant danger yet she was concerned about his career, about whether he was burying himself in a hole. He had wondered the same thing, but had tried not to let it show in front of her. The emotions tugged at his senses. She was, indeed, a very special woman.
“There’s no reason for you to worry about my job. There are far more important things to be concerned about and better places to use that energy than worrying.” He couldn’t resist the temptation of her nearness any longer. He pulled her into his arms and claimed her mouth. Perhaps it was a temporary sense of safety that propelled his actions, a feeling that they were secure for a while hidden away on an island—just the two of them with no one else able to find them. Whatever the reason, he had started something he didn’t want to stop.
A tremor of excitement rippled through his body when she ran her fingers through his hair, then wrapped her arms around his neck. He sank back into the softness
of the bed, taking her with him. He held her close, pulling her body on top of his. Her taste was every bit as addictive as any drug. He caressed her shoulders, then ran his hands beneath her blouse. He skimmed his fingers across the smooth skin of her back before rolling over so that his body covered hers. His thoughts became fewer and farther apart, except for the one that told him how much he wanted to make love to her. He knew where he wanted the evening to go, but the final decision would be up to Tara.
He pulled back just far enough to break the connection of the kiss. The flushed excitement of her face, the fire of passion that danced in her eyes—if there was any chance to put a stop to this it would have to be now. He tried to bring some control to his ragged breathing, at least enough to talk.
“Tara…” He smoothed her hair away from her face, kissed her cheek, then nuzzled the side of her neck. “Do you think we can set aside the chaos and uncertainty of what’s going on around us and for a few hours create a little world of our own? I want to make love to you. I’ve wanted to almost from the first moment I saw you, but it can’t be one-sided. I don’t want you to feel obligated. I don’t want you to think that you need—”
She placed her fingertips against his lips to still his words. A moment of uncertainty clouded her thoughts. “I think you should know that I haven’t had very much experience.” It was the type of confession she thought she’d never make to anyone, let alone the most exciting and sexy man she’d ever met. Did she feel obligated? No way. Did his touch thrill her? His kisses excite her beyond words? More than anyone she had ever known. Did the prospect of having him make love to her surpass everything else at that moment? Without a shadow of a doubt.
She smiled at him. “I also think you’re talking too much.”
“You’re right—” his words were soft as a caress “—I’m definitely wasting too much time talking.”
A moment of uncertainty clouded his thoughts. He had thrown his professional ethics aside the moment his lips first touched hers. But there was something much more bothersome for him, something potentially dangerous. Could he make love to Tara Ford without opening his heart to her? Did he dare take a chance? He shoved aside his doubts as his mouth found hers, his tongue aggressively seeking out and meshing with the texture of her tongue.
Chapter Ten
All thoughts left Tara’s consciousness except one. Only her desire for Brad Harrison remained. She gave herself over totally to the delicious sensations coursing through her body and the excitement he stirred deep inside her. Her pulse raced as she ran her hands beneath his shirt and up his tautly muscled back.
All the rules faded in an excited heartbeat. He recaptured her mouth with a new fervor, one that left nothing to the imagination about his intentions. Their clothes were soon scattered across the floor at the foot of the bed.
The excitement grew inside her. The passion of his kisses exceeded anything she had ever before experienced. She wanted him to touch her, to caress every part of her body, to stimulate her senses even more than they already were. She ran her hands across the hard planes of his chest, her fingers exploring lower and lower until she touched the hardness of his arousal.
He felt the growl of pleasure leave his throat as much as he heard it. Her touch inflamed his desires even more than they already were, if that was possible. He cupped her breast in his hand and teased her nipple with his tongue before drawing the taut bud into his mouth. She tasted good. She felt good. He knew they would be good together. He ran his hand across the curve of her hip, then tickled his fingers up the soft skin of her inner thigh.
The moist heat of her excitement radiated to him when he reached her feminine folds. Her breathless gasp further stimulated his senses. His chest heaved as his breathing became more labored. He released her nipple from his mouth, quickly substituting the other one. He had never wanted anyone as much as he wanted her.
Wave after wave of intense sensations crashed through her body. She moved her hips to meet the manipulations of his fingers, each movement adding to the building layers rushing toward ecstasy. She brazenly stroked his rigid sex, something she had never done before. With him, everything seemed so natural and right. Her excitement combined with his.
Brad shifted his weight, then nestled his body between her legs. He paused for a moment when her words about her lack of experience came back to him. A hint of doubt jabbed at his consciousness. He wanted so much to please her. Her legs wrapped around his hips. His doubts vanished as he penetrated the depths of her femininity.
Her moist heat tightly encased his hard sex. The intensity nearly took away what little breath remained in his lungs. It was so much more than the physical pleasure. It went all the way to his heart and soul. He started a slow, even pace that quickly escalated as his excitement grew. Her hips rose to meet each of his downward thrusts.
He captured her mouth, his kiss every bit as passionate as his lovemaking. His hardened length filled her with deep sensations unlike anything she had ever experienced. The euphoria grew and expanded until it touched every part of her…body and soul. Then the rapture claimed her. The convulsions started deep inside her and spread quickly throughout her body.
He gave one last deep thrust. The hard spasms shot through him. He held her tighter, not wanting to ever let go. The profound implications of their lovemaking were not lost on him. She was everything he knew she would be and more. She was what he wanted…what had been missing from his life, what he needed to make his life whole again. Even after his breathing returned to normal he continued to hold her, occasionally placing a loving kiss on her damp cheek or forehead.
Tara rested her head against his chest. She listened to the strong rhythm of his heartbeat. She felt so alive and free of the restrictions that had always controlled her life. She had never been so brazen, so aggressive—and it felt wonderful. With Brad she seemed to be a completely different woman. Somehow he brought out that side of her she had always kept hidden away. And she reveled in the sense of freedom it provided. She also basked in the emotional euphoria of their closeness, which told her she just might be falling in love with him. She didn’t know what the future held, but at that moment she did not want to think about it. She snuggled into the warmth of his embrace and allowed her thoughts to drift on a cloud.
When she moved he shifted his weight in order to make her more comfortable. Nothing in his life had impacted him to the degree that making love to Tara Ford had. He knew he was in way over his head. He brushed a gentle kiss on her forehead. He held her tighter, the warmth of her body radiating to him, filling his mind with the possibilities of what could be—if they got out of the danger stalking their every move.
He took a deep breath, held it, then slowly exhaled. He had violated every professional ethic he’d ever held about being personally involved with someone connected to a case. What had he gotten himself into? And more to the point, exactly what was his relationship with her now? How had making love changed it? What would she be expecting from him and, more importantly, was it something he would be able to provide?
He looked at her, at the gentle rise and fall of her perfectly formed breasts. Her slow, even breathing told him she was asleep. He glanced over at the clock-radio on the nightstand. It was nine o’clock and they hadn’t eaten dinner yet. He was hungry, but he didn’t want to wake her, nor did he want to leave her alone while he went out and brought some food back to the room. So he stayed, Tara cradled in his arms and his thoughts wandering toward what would happen in the morning. It was both an exciting prospect and a worrisome situation that left him very confused—she left him very confused.
THE FOG OF SLEEP lifted from Tara’s mind. She didn’t open her eyes or make any attempt to move. Brad’s arms were still around her, still cradling her against his body. She had never felt as protected or cared for as she did at that moment. She liked the way he was concerned about her, the way he made sure she was okay. In short, she liked the feeling of Brad looking out for her well-being.
She thought about that for a moment. It wasn’t the same thing as Danny Vincent’s need to control her like a possession. With Brad, she knew he had her best interests at heart rather than his own selfish concerns. She knew she had choices. Even if protecting her was only a job to him, he made her feel warm and cared for. He treated her with respect. He didn’t act as if he was threatened by her need for independence.
It was far different than when all the witnesses were under the U.S. Marshals protection before and during the trial. A man named Ralph Newman had been in charge. He was cold and distant at a time when she’d needed some sort of reassurance that everything would be all right. The entire traumatic event had been something she’d endured alone without anyone to turn to for solace.
She finally opened her eyes just enough to see the gray early-morning light filtering in around the closed drapes. A little tingle of excitement ran across the surface of her skin when Brad’s hand slid across her hip. She instinctively moved, snuggling closer to his touch.
The smooth texture of her skin sent a tremor of excitement through his body. All the passion they had shared came rushing back at him, flooding him with the feelings he had been trying to fight. When emotions were involved, people didn’t always think clearly or logically. He didn’t have the luxury of allowing that to happen, not if he was going to keep her safe.
As much as he was enjoying the quiet moments of early morning, the sensual energy building inside him said he’d better turn his thoughts to the business at hand before he ended up making love to her again—an idea that touched him on every level. She nestled her back against his chest and rested her hand on his thigh. That was all it took. He wrapped his arms around her, cupping her breasts in his hands. He placed a soft kiss on her bare shoulder.
In His Safekeeping Page 15
