He shrugged. “I’ve had paramedic training. A lot of cops do, now.” He would let her assume he was a police officer.
She tilted her head to one side as she examined him. “I’ve never met a police officer like you before.”
“How many police officers do you know?”
“None,” she admitted.
“That would make me your first.” Need stirred inside him at his double entendre.
She blushed and looked away. “I guess it would.”
He went to her and took her hand. “Satisfied?”
She nodded slowly. “All right, Marcus, I’ll do exactly what you say. And I’ll tell my parents to call this number if anyone contacts them.”
“Will they be able to maintain the facade of frantic parents?” he asked. “Will they be able to pretend they haven’t heard from you?”
“I’m sure they will if I tell them my life may depend on it.”
“Your life may very well depend on it,” he said quietly. “Don’t forget, your father already had one break in security. There may be other people working for him who are really working for this man Simon. You might remind your parents of that.”
“I’m sure my father will interrogate everyone who works for him.” Her voice was grim and her eyes cold. “If there’s anyone there who doesn’t belong, he’ll find out.”
Marcus shook his head. “You can’t assume that. I know what you’re thinking, Jessica. You’re thinking that your father will make sure everyone on the island is trustworthy, then you can go home. But you can’t go back to that island until your kidnappers have been caught.”
He wasn’t proud of the fact that his blood hummed through his veins at the prospect of spending more time with her. But it was true. He couldn’t think of any other way to secure her safety than to keep her close by him.
Her gaze dropped, and he knew he’d been right on target. “I can’t allow you to put yourself in danger for me,” she said, her voice so low that he almost couldn’t hear her.
“Why not?”
“Why not?” She raised startled eyes to his. “Because I can’t take advantage of you that way.”
“You’re not taking advantage of me. I’m offering. I want you to stay.” God help him, but he wanted her to stay with him more than he’d wanted anything in years. It was only because it was his best shot at catching Simon, he told himself. But he couldn’t block out of his mind the images of the two of them making love.
“You must have a reason for being here on Cascadilla,” she said. “I’m disrupting all of your plans.”
“Not at all. I was here for a vacation. So you’re not interrupting anything. Except maybe my sleep.” Suddenly, overwhelmingly, he wanted her with a fierce need that he wasn’t sure he could control. He held her gaze for a moment until he saw an answering heat pool in her eyes, then he looked away.
He moved to the other side of the room and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Go ahead and call your parents, but you won’t be going home. Not until the kidnappers have been caught.”
Her hand shook as she picked up the cell phone, but she didn’t take her eyes off his face. “Are you sure?” she whispered.
Was he sure he wanted her to stay? “Absolutely.” He’d never wanted anyone with this kind of mindless need, this kind of urgency. But that wasn’t the reason he wanted her to stay. He tried to block out his personal feelings. She was part of his job, his only link to Simon. “I told you I would protect you, and I meant it. No one will hurt you again.”
Her mouth trembled and softened as she watched him. Finally she murmured, “I believe you. You’re a warrior, aren’t you, Marcus? I’ll be perfectly safe with you.”
He scowled. That depended on her definition of safe. “Yes. And you can tell your parents that you’re safe. Just don’t tell them anything else.”
“I won’t.” She took a deep breath and looked at the phone. Marcus waited until he heard her speaking, then he walked into the other room. She deserved at least a little privacy to talk to her parents. And he trusted her to do exactly as he’d told her. Jessica was intelligent enough to understand that her life might depend on it.
At least ten minutes passed before he no longer heard the murmur of her voice. Finally she came into the room. He could see that she’d been crying.
Without thinking, he rushed over to her. Holding her shoulders, he stared at her. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
She shook her head and tried to smile. “Nothing,” she said. “My parents were sick with worrying. They were so glad to hear my voice and know that I was okay.”
He loosened his grip on her shoulders but was reluctant to let her go. He told himself that she was upset and he needed to comfort her. Drawing her close, he wrapped his arms around her. When she leaned against his chest, he felt his heart lurch and begin to pound.
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
She nodded against his chest, and he let his hand tangle in her hair. It trickled through his fingers like liquid silk, and he closed his eyes as her fragrance drifted up to him.
“It’s been a rough twenty-four hours, hasn’t it?” he said gruffly.
At that she lifted her head. “Some parts of it weren’t completely awful,” she said, and he saw the hesitation in her eyes.
“Some parts of it were wonderful. Last night makes me almost grateful to this man Simon,” he said, his voice rough, and he bent to kiss her. She melted into him, and he cursed his insensitivity. Jessica wasn’t a woman who knew the score. She had been a virgin, for God’s sake. She couldn’t know that what they had shared had been beyond wonderful.
Their lips clung together, and Marcus felt the now familiar surge of desire that overwhelmed him whenever he touched her. He groaned in the back of his throat as she moved innocently against him, and finally broke away from her.
“Tell me what your parents said,” he said as he looked at her. He couldn’t bear to let her go just yet, so he slid his hand down her arm and took her hand in his.
She looked at him uncertainly, then nodded. “You’re right. We have to think about my predicament.”
She had managed to read his mind, and it scared the hell out of him. He didn’t want to feel this connection with any woman. After Heather, he had sworn he wouldn’t give any woman the power to control him. To hide his reaction, he turned and sat on the couch, still holding her hand. She sat next to him, and he drew in a ragged breath.
“What did your parents say?”
“They were frantic with worry, of course. They didn’t realize until close to dinner that I was missing. As soon as they saw my office, they knew something was wrong. I guess I put up more of a struggle than I realized.”
“Why am I not surprised to hear that?” he murmured.
She shot him a sharp look. “What was that supposed to mean?”
He bent and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. It was all he would allow himself. “It means I almost feel sorry for the two guys who tried to grab you. I’m sure you fought like a hellcat.” He gave her a crooked smile. “I know you already, Jessica.”
“You’re right,” she said, staring at him for a moment then looking away. He was sure he saw confusion in her eyes. “I guess I did. There was a lot of damage in my office. When my parents couldn’t find me on the island, they realized I must have been kidnapped. They’ve been up all night, waiting for a ransom call.”
“They haven’t gotten one yet?” He forced himself to concentrate on business. “No one’s called and claimed they had you? Asked for a ransom?”
“No.”
“They might, though,” he said thoughtfully, his mind flying through the possibilities. “If you don’t surface in a few days, the kidnappers might assume that you drowned while trying to swim to shore. I wouldn’t be surprised if they called your parents anyway and tried to get ransom money from them.”
“They wouldn’t succeed,” she said immediately. “My father wouldn’t be taken in that easily.”
She started to shake her head, then paused. “Maybe you’re right,” she said after a moment. “If I hadn’t called them and let them know what had happened, they might be willing to grasp at any straw.”
“Would your parents mind if someone put a tracer on their phone line? In case this Simon calls them?”
“I don’t think so.” She turned to face him. “But be prepared for questions. I told them you were some kind of law enforcement officer, but that wasn’t good enough for my father. He wanted to know details. And if you go to the island to install that equipment, he’s going to give you the third degree.”
“No one would be going to the island. We couldn’t risk it. I’m sure Simon is watching the island, and if he sees the activity, he’ll know something is up. We’ll have to do it from the other end. Someone will be in contact with the phone company.”
“You seem to know an awful lot about this Simon.”
He cursed his carelessness. That’s what came from thinking with a part of his anatomy other than his brain. “I’m just using my experience as a cop to imagine what a smart kidnapper would do. And I think we have to assume that he’s smart. After all, he found a way to get to you.”
She leaned back against the couch and stared at him thoughtfully. “I wonder why this Simon decided to kidnap me.”
That was a very good question. “Any ideas?”
She shook her head, but he could see her mind working. “I don’t know,” she said slowly. “I’ve been on the island for a while, but I’ve spent most of my time working. I come to Cascadilla very infrequently.”
“All work and no play,” he murmured.
She shot him a glance, then her mouth curled into a half-smile. “I can’t say that anymore, can I?”
His pulse leaped, but she didn’t seem to realize what her words did to him.
“I just don’t get out very much,” she continued.
He was going to get her killed or kidnapped again if he didn’t get his head in the right place, he told himself savagely. Deliberately looking away from her, he struggled to control the desire that raged through him. Finally he said, “How long exactly have you been on your parent’s island?”
“Since early in December.”
He swung to face her. “That’s a long time. Don’t you have a job? Wasn’t there someplace you needed to be? It’s the end of January.”
She smiled at him again, and it was like a punch to his heart. Her smile was open and unafraid, reflected in her eyes as well as her mouth, and it transformed her face. She had been lovely before, but now she was breathtaking.
Before he could recover, she said, “I’m working on a Ph.D., Marcus. I left school at Christmas break and now I’m working on my thesis. Since I didn’t have any classes this semester, I thought I could work just as well at my parents’ house, and be a lot more comfortable.” She grinned at him. “And I don’t have to cook for myself, either.”
“So you’ve been living with your parents for almost two months.” He leaned forward, staring at her. “Have your parents had any visitors?”
“They’ve had lots of visitors.” She shrugged. “I’ve been too busy to pay much attention.”
“Anyone you didn’t know?”
“I didn’t know most of them. A lot of the people who came to the island were my father’s business associates.” She shrugged again. “I did my work and came and went as I pleased.”
“So he might have actually been on the island,” he mused, almost to himself.
“You think Simon might have visited my father?” Her voice sharpened, and when he looked at her he saw fear in her eyes. “Are my parents in danger?”
So the fear was for her parents, not herself. He took her hand and squeezed it. Then, before he could stop himself, he brought it to his mouth and kissed her palm. “I don’t think so,” he said. Then he hesitated. “But we can’t know for sure. Whoever this Simon is, he must be desperate to try to kidnap you the way he did.”
“Do you think he’ll go after my parents?”
Slowly he shook his head. “I doubt it. He still doesn’t know what’s happened to you. He’s got to be hoping that you show up. And even if you don’t, he might try and get some ransom money from your parents anyway.”
“What about when nothing works?”
“Then I suspect he’ll try something else. But your parents are probably safe. He’ll know that they’ll be wary and much more careful than usual. He’ll choose an easier target.”
“Like I said before, it sounds like you know Simon very well.”
He knew far too much about the slippery criminal. He rubbed his left arm, feeling the fresh scar tissue beneath his shirt. But he had no intention of telling Jessica anything about himself. “I just know how criminals operate,” he said easily. “It makes it easier to catch them if you know how they think.”
She studied him, and the perception in her level gaze was disturbing. He didn’t want to think anyone could read him easily. His life could depend on it. But Jessica Burke, whom he’d known for less than twenty-four hours, was watching him as if she could see all the way to the bottom of his soul.
She looked away, but he could feel the tension shimmering in the air between them. Jessica wasn’t sure if she believed him or not.
Once again he marveled at her perception. And Jessica was only twenty-one years old.
That thought jerked him to reality. He had no business sitting here with this woman, who was barely more than a child, wondering when he could make love to her again. If the difference in age between them wasn’t enough of a barrier, their difference in experience sure as hell should be.
Jumping up from the couch, he said, “I need another cup of coffee. Can I get you anything?”
Jessica watched Marcus storm into the kitchen and wondered what had upset him. He hadn’t been happy when she’d insisted on calling her parents, but he’d given in with apparently good grace. She leaned back against the couch cushions and sighed. She had absolutely no experience with men, other than as colleagues. No wonder she couldn’t figure Marcus out.
He came into the room and sat in a chair on the other side of the room. His gaze was cool and shuttered, and she had no idea what he was thinking. Finally he said, “Tell me about yourself.”
She gave him a quizzical look. “What do you want to know?”
For a moment his gaze was hot and hungry, as if he wanted to devour her. She was certain he was going to say, “Everything.” Then he shrugged and slouched in the chair, his eyes once again unreadable. “Who you are. What’s important about Jessica Burke. Anything you want to tell me.” He hesitated, then added, “Anything that could help us in this situation.”
Pain squeezed her heart, but she wouldn’t allow him to see it. If, after last night, he were only interested in helping her out of this dilemma, then she would deal with it. She wasn’t going to die of a broken heart.
“There isn’t much to tell you,” she said, the coolness of her voice matching his. “I’ve been in school for almost my whole life. That pretty much is my life.”
He leaned forward, a flicker of interest in his eyes. She suspected that he didn’t realize it. “You’re awfully young to be working on a Ph.D. already, aren’t you?”
She shrugged self-consciously. “I suppose I am. But I’ve been pretty focused on my studies, so I progressed quickly.”
He studied her, then nodded. “I thought so. Modest as well as brilliant.”
She laughed. “That’s not how I would describe myself.”
“How old were you when you graduated from college?”
“Eighteen,” she said, after hesitating.
“Precisely.” He grinned at her, much of the tension gone from his face. “You were one of the brains in school, weren’t you?”
Jessica felt her face tense, and she looked away. Those words still had the
power to wound her. “So they say,” she answered lightly.
Before she noticed him move, he was sitting on the couch next to her. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “That hurt, didn’t it? And I didn’t mean for it to hurt.”
She forced herself to face him. “I know you didn’t, Marcus. You couldn’t know.”
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
She shook her head. “No. At least not right now.”
He leaned away from her so he could see her face. “I guess having money doesn’t solve all the problems in the world, does it?”
His voice was light and teasing, and she tried to answer him in the same way. “No, it doesn’t. But it helps when you go to the grocery store.”
He moved away from her, but he didn’t get up from the couch. And he didn’t let go of her hand. “Speaking of groceries, I’m going to have to get some food together for us. We could get room service, but if I begin ordering two meals all the time, someone might wonder who’s staying with me.” He gave her a lazy grin. “Now, if I order two meals only occasionally, they’ll just think I’m having a good time on my vacation.”
“What do you suggest?” She tried to keep her voice as light as his, but the reference to his having vacation flings made a lump swell in her throat. Was that all she was to him? He was far more than that to her, but she would be damned if she let him see it.
He jumped up and began to pace around the room. “I don’t want you out of this cabin, at least for now. I don’t want anyone to see you.” He stopped and spun to look at her. “Do you think you could describe the two kidnappers to an artist who might be able to draw them?”
“I think so.” Their faces were burned into her mind.
He stared out the window. “It would help if I knew who we were looking for,” he murmured, almost to himself. He was still for another long moment, and his stillness seemed to fill the room. The dancing sunlight that streamed through the window silhouetted his tall, rangy body and glinted off his blond hair. When he ran his fingers through his hair, she remembered how his hands had felt the night before, exploring her body, touching her everywhere.
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