Someone To Watch Over Her

by Margaret Watson

  As heat spread and pooled, she deliberately looked away. She didn’t want to make more of a fool of herself than she already had. But his stillness and silence made her turn to look at him.

  He was staring at her again, but this time his eyes were anything but cool. His gaze devoured her, made her feel like she was standing in front of him stripped to the skin.

  “Jessica,” he groaned, and she sat frozen in place, unable to move, unable to breathe.

  The chirping of the cell phone shattered the tense stillness in the room.

  Chapter 5

  Marcus held her gaze for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he moved to the phone and picked it up. But he never took his gaze away from her.

  “Waters.” His voice was curt and short.

  He listened for a long time, then nodded once. “Thanks for the update. Everything is calm here. No signs of anyone snooping around. But she hasn’t been outside the door yet.”

  He listened for a few moments longer, then said, “I’ll need your help later today. I’ll call.”

  He turned the phone off without saying goodbye, then put it down. “That was one of my partners. They haven’t seen or heard anything at all about your kidnapping. And they’ve been to all the logical places on the island.”

  “What do you mean by logical places?”

  His face relaxed, and she realized that he welcomed her questions. They defused the tension that threatened to explode between them. “They know all the seedy dives on Cascadilla, the kinds of places that lowlifes and scumbags hang out. They’ve visited all of them, talking to people and just listening. There hasn’t been a whiff of talk about your kidnapping.”

  She watched him pace. “How is it that you know all the dives on Cascadilla if you’re only here for a vacation?”

  He stopped pacing and looked at her, reluctant admiration on his face. “You’re very quick, Jessica.”

  “So I’ve been told. But that doesn’t answer my question.”

  This time he grinned at her. “And persistent. I’ll have to remember that.”

  “Just answer the question, Marcus.”

  His eyes actually twinkled, and she blinked as she watched him. Was this the intense, brooding man she’d been watching all morning? But as she watched him, his laughter faded. “That’s a fair question,” he said quietly. “A few of my partners are also vacationing here in Cascadilla. As soon as I realized that something had happened to you, I telephoned them and asked them to keep their ears open—unofficially, of course. They are married to the job—just like I am—and they agreed to forfeit some time on the beach to help me out. They tried to gather information as quickly as possible, and the places they went are the best sources. And to answer your question about how they knew where to go, it doesn’t take much to find out where the scum on the bottom of the gene pool spends its time. Any taxi driver can tell you that. And once you find the dives, all it takes is money and time to get the information you need.”

  “You sound very cynical, Marcus.”

  He smiled again, but there was no humor in his eyes this time. “That’s me, Jessica. I’m cynical and hard. That’s why I don’t belong anywhere near a woman like you. That’s why what happened between us last night was so wrong.”

  “Nothing about last night felt wrong to me.” She lifted her chin. “And what exactly is a woman like me?” She gave him a defiant stare, but she didn’t really have to ask. A man like Marcus wouldn’t be interested in an inexperienced woman like her.

  “A woman with her life in front of her. A woman who could have any man she wanted. A woman who isn’t tainted by the world I live in.” Marcus held her gaze steadily. “An innocent.”

  “I’m not as innocent as you think I am.”

  “Not anymore, you’re not. And that’s my fault.”

  “It isn’t a matter of fault,” she retorted. “It was a matter of choice. And I make my own choices.”

  His gaze softened. “You don’t know what you’re saying, Jessica. You’re still too caught up in the moment. But when you can think about this rationally, you’ll see that I’m right.”

  “Don’t patronize me. You’re treating me like a child, Marcus. And I’m not a child.”

  “Damn right you’re not.” His gaze was suddenly dangerously hot. “And before I forget all my good intentions, I’m going to get out of here.”

  He stalked into the bedroom and closed the door. Jessica sat and stared after him, shaken by the heat that had flared between them. She had no idea how to handle the tension that stretched tighter every time they faced one another. Nothing she had read or studied had prepared her for the emotional storm raging inside her. Maybe agreeing to stay with him hadn’t been such a good idea, after all. Maybe she should have called the Cascadilla police.

  But she knew she wouldn’t. She was going to stay here with Marcus and play this out. She had made her decision the night before, and she wasn’t about to turn tail and run at the first sign of trouble.

  That wasn’t her way, in her personal life or her professional one. As a scientist, when she hit a snag she worked at it until she figured it out. And she was certain she could do the same with the mystery that was Marcus.

  But she had never been so personally wrapped up in a scientific problem before, she thought, bringing her knees to her chin and wrapping her arms around her legs. She stared blindly out the window at the bright blue Caribbean sky. Somehow, she didn’t think the scientific method was going to discover the real Marcus.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by the click of the bedroom door opening. She swung to face Marcus as he walked into the room.

  “I need to go get some groceries,” he said, and once again his face was unreadable. “I called a couple of my partners. They’re going to keep an eye on you.”

  “I don’t need a baby-sitter,” she retorted. “I’m perfectly capable of staying in this cottage by myself.”

  “They won’t be in here with you.” His voice was infuriatingly calm. “They’ll be outside, watching the building. You probably won’t even know they’re around.”

  She tried to hide her worried expression, but she knew that Marcus could tell she was apprehensive.

  “Do you mind if I leave for a while?” he asked. “I can stay here and ask someone else to pick up groceries for me, if you’d like.”

  “What if I said I did mind?”

  “Then I wouldn’t leave.” His answer was prompt, and his eyes softened. She wondered if he realized it. “I won’t leave you alone if you’re nervous, Jessica.”

  “Go ahead and go,” she said. She probably needed some time alone to regain her equilibrium. It had been thoroughly shattered the night before. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  His gaze lingered on her for a few moments, almost as if he couldn’t bear to leave her. But that was ridiculous. Then he nodded. “Let me make sure my partners are in place.”

  He picked up the cell phone and took it into the other room. She heard the low murmur of his voice, although she couldn’t make out the words. She let the sound wash over her, his voice bringing back memories of the night before. Images of Marcus in the moonlight filled her head, causing her pulse to quicken.

  When he walked into the room, she opened her eyes and looked at him. He froze, staring at her, and she could see desire, tightly leashed, in the depths of his blue eyes. Then he looked away.

  “There are two men outside. They’ll make sure no one comes near this cottage until I get back.”

  “All right.” She swallowed hard, trying to hide her reaction to him. “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

  At that he smiled, erasing the tension that had begun to gather. “It shouldn’t take long. There’s a small grocery store on the grounds of the resort.”

  “I’ll expect you soon, then.”

  He started for the door, then hesitated. “You’re sure you’ll be all right here alone?”

&nbs
p; “Positive,” she said firmly. “Go ahead and go.”

  “Anything in particular you’d like to eat?”

  “I’m not a picky eater. Although I’m not too fond of red meat.”

  “No thick steaks, then.”

  “No. Anything else is fine.”

  He nodded once and slipped out the door. When the door closed silently behind him, Jessica wanted to run to the window to watch him until he disappeared. But she forced herself to stay where she was. She wasn’t an adolescent with a crush on the cutest guy in the school. She was an adult, and that’s the way she’d act.

  Marcus strode away from the cottage, resisting the impulse to turn and take one last look. He wasn’t a randy teenager, for God’s sake. He was a professional, and he would damn well act that way.

  He melted into the foliage next to his cottage and found the agreed-upon meeting place. After a few minutes another agent joined him.

  “Devane,” Marcus said in a low voice. “Any news?”

  Russell Devane shook his head. “Not a whisper. Either your kidnappers aren’t here on Cascadilla, or they’re sharper than we’ve given them credit for. They’re lying low.”

  “They’re here on Cascadilla,” Marcus said grimly. “And they’re probably following Simon’s orders and staying out of sight until they have an idea of what happened to Jessica Burke.”

  “I did a background check on her and her parents, like you requested. They’re legit, apparently. Her father has piles of money, both inherited and earned through shrewd investments. Jessica is completely on the level. School records are genuine, all the way back to elementary school. We had someone go to every school and check them out. Even saw pictures of her. And her academic adviser speaks of her in glowing terms. Can’t wait for her to return to school.”

  Marcus scowled. He wondered who her academic adviser was and why he was so hot for her to get back to school. “So there’s no chance she was planted by Simon?”

  “I don’t think so.” Devane looked at him quizzically. “Did you really think she was?”

  “It doesn’t matter what I think. The facts and the truth are all that matter,” he snapped.

  Devane raised one eyebrow. “Someone didn’t get enough sleep last night.”

  Marcus glared at Devane to conceal the heat that flashed through him. “Some of us are trying to catch Simon.”

  “Man, you are as touchy as a boil.”

  “Sorry.” Marcus sighed. “This business with Simon has been going on for far too long.”

  “You’re right,” Devane said grimly. “I say it stops here. We’re going to catch that son of a bitch if it’s the last thing we do.”

  “Can you get us an artist?” Marcus asked abruptly. “She got a good look at both the kidnappers. If we knew what they looked like, we’d at least have a place to start.”

  “I’ll find someone.”

  “Keep a close eye on the cottage,” Marcus said, moving away. “I’m going to get some groceries.”

  “I could have done that,” Devane said.

  Marcus turned to look at him. “I needed some fresh air. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  He pushed through the heavy foliage until he emerged on one of the paths that wound through the resort. What he’d needed was to get away from Jessica for a little while and regain his composure. He wasn’t used to losing control the way he had the night before, and he was still shaken by what had happened between them.

  No matter how much he wanted her, he would stay away from Jessica from now on. He was supposed to be protecting her, for God’s sake. He had to have his mind clear and be able to focus on his job. And last night, he hadn’t been focusing on anything but Jessica.

  He wasn’t able to focus on anything but her whenever they were in the same room. And that was a problem. He had promised he would protect her. He wasn’t going to be able to do that if all he could think about was making love to her.

  It wouldn’t happen again, he vowed. He’d made a mistake, but it wasn’t too late to correct it. From now on, he would stay as far away from Jessica as he could in the tiny cottage.

  It didn’t take long to find the grocery store tucked into a corner of the resort. After he stocked up on groceries, throwing items into the cart almost at random, he headed toward the cottage. The sky was a bright, cloudless blue, and the air was warm and sweet against his skin. He didn’t care. He and Jessica weren’t going to be able to enjoy it. They were going to have to stay inside for the next few days and let Devane and the other agents hunt for Simon and the kidnappers.

  He slowed as he walked past the large pool, carefully looking at every person in the area. Some people splashed in the pool, others reclined on lounge chairs, reading or sleeping. No one looked out of place. No one seemed to be watching him. There was no scent of fear or excitement in the air, no vibrations from a hunter.

  Satisfied, Marcus continued walking. When he got to the part of the path that led to his isolated cottage, he turned the corner and stepped into the dense foliage to wait.

  After a few minutes, he stepped onto the path and continued walking. If Simon or his henchmen were around, they weren’t following him.

  As the cottage came into view, he paused to watch it for a moment. A man swayed in a hammock on the beach, not far from the rear of the cottage. Marcus recognized him as one of the agents on Cascadilla. Devane, he knew, was hidden among the trees at the side of the cottage, placed where he would have a clear view of the front and side. Between them, the two agents had the place covered. Jessica was perfectly safe.

  Still he hurried to get inside. “Jessica?” he called softly as he stepped through the door. “It’s Marcus.”

  She came out of the bedroom. “That was a quick trip.”

  He set the bags on the counter. “It wasn’t like I had a long way to go or a lot of choices once I got there.”

  “Let me help you put everything away.”

  They worked in silence for a few minutes. Marcus was too aware of how close she was. Every time they accidentally brushed in the tiny kitchen, his skin burned. Heat built inside him, along with a fierce need that threatened to blot everything else from his mind.

  Finally he pushed away from the counter. “That’s it. I think that will feed us for a few days.”

  “It looks like we’re set.” She took a deep breath, and he watched the rise and fall of her chest beneath the thin T-shirt she wore. She turned to face him, her mouth open to say something, but no sound came out.

  Her eyes darkened as she stared at him. He knew what she saw in his face—raw, urgent need. It was impossible to hide it. In spite of his vow, he wanted nothing more than to haul Jessica against him and devour her, starting with her mouth.

  And she wanted him, too. He could see it in the depths of her eyes, in the way her breathing quickened, in the way her body swayed toward his. All he had to do was reach out to her.

  Instead he closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists at his side. He’d never had any trouble putting his job first before this. Now he tried desperately to remember Simon and all that was at stake.

  “Thanks for getting some food,” Jessica said, and although her voice was cool, he could hear an echo of hurt in her tones. “I hope you don’t mind, but I started reading one of your books. I’ll get back to it.”

  “Be my guest,” he managed to say.

  He heard her go through the living room and into the bedroom. When she didn’t come out, he opened his eyes and looked out the window. The watcher in the hammock was gone, and he assumed that Russell Devane had left, also. Once again, he and Jessica were completely alone.

  That helped to steady him. He was the only one responsible for her safety now. So he took a deep breath and waited until his desire was only a smoldering heat below the surface.

  “Would you like some lunch?” he called to her.

  “Yes, I’m getting hungry.” She emerged from the bedroom, her face carefully blank. “Let me help you make something
.”

  They worked together in silence for a while, but he realized that she was careful to keep the counter between them. Apparently she was just as wary as he was of those accidental touches.

  They sat down on opposite sides of the table, and Marcus tried desperately to think of a safe topic of conversation. He wanted to ask her about her academic adviser, the man who was so eager for her to return to school, and he scowled. Their relationship wasn’t any of his business.

  “Tell me about your research,” he said abruptly. “What do you do?”

  She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you want to know?”

  “Of course I do.” And he realized that he was telling the truth. He wanted to know what made her tick. He wanted to know everything about her. It was only so he could judge how she’d react in a crisis, he told himself.

  “How much do you know about coral reefs?” she asked, her earlier coolness gone and her eyes sparkling as she leaned forward, elbows on the table and her food forgotten.

  He shrugged. “Just that they’re supposed to be beautiful.”

  Her eyebrows snapped together in disbelief. “You’ve never seen a reef?”

  “Never had the time.” Or the inclination, he should have added, but that was no longer true. Now he was very interested in them. He wanted to see them through Jessica’s eyes.

  “You’re in the perfect place to fix that.” She swept her hand toward the ocean. “There is a wonderful reef off the shore of Cascadilla. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to stay at my parents’ to work on my thesis. I had research material right at hand.”

  “What exactly are you studying?”

  She grinned at him, and the tension that hummed between them vanished. That was a good thing, he told himself. “I’ll give you the short version,” she said, her eyes laughing. “I don’t want to see your eyes glaze over if I start describing my research in detail. Basically, coral reefs are very important resources for humans. Reefs support an incredible amount of life. There are all kinds of things waiting to be learned about reefs, but we’re causing a lot of damage to them. Increased environmental temperature, agricultural runoff and overfishing are just a few of them. I’m working on indicators that will allow us to know very early when a reef’s been damaged so we can stop the damage and reverse the process.”