Someone To Watch Over Her

by Margaret Watson

  Her heart leaped, but she struggled to control her reaction. “This is all pretty new and strange for me, too,” she managed to say in an even voice. “It’s not exactly what I pictured myself doing when I decided to stay on the island with my parents for a few months.”

  At that he turned and smiled at her. “It’s not, is it? You thought you’d be doing your research and instead you’re cooped up here with me, waiting for the bad guys to show up.”

  She shrugged, longing to reach for him but knowing he would immediately retreat. “It’s not so bad.” She gave him an impish grin. “We got to go swimming, at least.”

  His eyes darkened, and she knew he was thinking about what had happened last night, about the incredible lovemaking they had shared. “Yeah, we did, didn’t we?”

  His voice was no more than a low murmur in the stillness of the night, smooth and seductive. Desire leaped to life inside her, shocking her with its suddenness and power.

  “Are you interested in another swim?” she asked, barely recognizing her voice. She sounded like a stranger, husky, smoky and suggestive. She saw his face tighten and knew the desire she saw in his eyes was echoed in hers.

  “I don’t think so,” he said after a moment. “Not tonight.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t want to make love to you on the beach,” he said roughly. “And that’s exactly what would happen if I saw you in the moonlight.”

  She held out her hand to him. “Then let’s just go to bed.”

  He held himself rigidly still. “That’s not what I meant, Jessica.”

  “I know. You think you know what’s best for me. But you don’t. I want to make love with you.”

  He shook his head, and a small smile curved his lips. “Say what you mean,” he murmured.

  “I always do.”

  “I’ve noticed.” He reached out and touched her cheek, skimming one finger down to her neck. “It’s hard to believe you’re only twenty-one years old.”

  “Then don’t think about it.”

  “I can’t help myself,” he said roughly, drawing his hand away and clenching it into a fist at his side. “I’m far too old for you, Jessica. In every possible way.”

  “And I think we’re just right together.” She tried to rein in her impatience. “I already told you that I found the boys my age far too young for me. Their preoccupation with drinking beer, chasing women and having a good time was boring. Why else do you think I’ve never had a serious relationship?”

  “You said you were too busy to date.”

  She gave him a slow, heated smile. “Believe me, Marcus, if I had met you while I was in college, I would have made time.”

  “I’ve taken advantage of you,” he said, his voice brutally frank. He watched her steadily. “I stole your freshness and your innocence. I’ve taken what I had no right to take.”

  “And I’ve already told you that I knew what I was doing. I don’t want to have this conversation again. Give me credit for knowing my own mind.” Her temper flared, and she glared at him. “I want to make love with you, Marcus. I have no idea how much time we’ll have together. And I’m not going to argue with you every night. So make up your mind. I’m going to bed.”

  She walked into the bedroom, leaving the door open behind her. She could feel Marcus’s presence in the other room, knew he was watching her. Ignoring him, she went into the bathroom and closed the door.

  When she emerged, there was no sign of Marcus. A lump swelled in her throat. She had taken a gamble and lost. Marcus was going to stay as far away as possible from her.

  Fighting tears, she pulled on one of Marcus’s old T-shirts and slid between the sheets of his bed. Rolling onto her side, she stared out the window and blindly watched wispy clouds track across the moon.

  “I didn’t think you were ever coming out of that bathroom,” Marcus whispered as he slid into bed next to her.

  She rolled over to face him. “Where were you? I thought you had left.”

  “I wouldn’t leave you here alone without telling you where I was going. I was checking the outside of the cottage and making sure everything was secure.”

  “Is everything all right?” She was asking about far more than the security surrounding the cottage.

  He stared at her for a long time. Finally he reached for her and pulled her into his arms. “Everything is fine. For now.”

  For now. She knew it was the most she could expect from Marcus. He wasn’t prepared to make any kind of a commitment to her, at least while he was responsible for protecting her. But as she wrapped her arms around him, she promised herself that she wasn’t going to let him go as easily as he thought. One of the barriers between them had come crashing down. He had taken a small step in her direction tonight, and it was all the encouragement she needed. Sooner or later, he’d find out that her stubbornness and persistence could easily match his.

  Then his mouth came down on hers, and she forgot everything but the desire that swept her away. She forgot the danger she was in, she forgot her work, she forgot everything but Marcus and the passion they shared. For now, it was enough. And as he made love to her with a sweetness and a tenderness that brought tears to her eyes, she felt a piece of her heart break away and tumble into his hands.

  The next ten days passed far too quickly for Jessica. She and Marcus spent their days talking and their nights making love with a passion and hunger she hadn’t known existed. It was as if they’d been lovers for years, so perfectly did they fit together. Every once in a while she felt Marcus trying to retreat, to separate himself from her. But once he touched her, once he kissed her, all the barriers between them dissolved, and passion burned hotly between them again.

  Marcus sat watching Jessica at breakfast two weeks after he had found her on the beach. Her movements were graceful, and she smiled at him, tenderness and caring in her eyes. He knew that his eyes would soften in response. Jessica was undermining all his defenses. She had become his world. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her, and the realization made him edgy and tense.

  This wasn’t how he did his job. He didn’t allow himself to get distracted while on an assignment, even if the woman doing the distracting was part of his job. Scowling, he pushed away from the table and grabbed the phone. He’d call Devane and see if there were any developments.

  He felt Jessica’s eyes on him, and he turned away and dialed the number. When Devane answered, he said, “It’s me. Anything new?”

  “Not a thing. We’ve been turning over every rock on Cascadilla, but nothing has crawled out yet. Anything to report from your end?”

  “Nothing. It’s been quiet as a tomb here.”

  “Something has to break soon. Especially if Simon was behind the kidnapping. If he needs money that badly, he can’t afford to go to ground for too long. We’ll keep our eyes open.” Devane paused. “It might be time to shake things up a bit.”

  Marcus knew what he meant, and he scowled at the phone. “Not yet. It’s too risky.”

  There was another pause. “Catching Simon is our first responsibility, Waters,” Devane finally said, but Marcus could hear the sympathy in his voice.

  “I know. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  When he closed the phone, he turned to find Jessica watching him, worry in her eyes. “Your partners haven’t found anything yet, have they?”

  “No. But they will. It just might take some time.”

  “This waiting is hard for you, isn’t it?” she asked softly.

  “It’s tough.”

  What was worse was the guilt that was tearing him apart. Deep down, he wasn’t sure he wanted the kidnappers to be found. Because as soon as they were found and used to trap Simon, Jessica would return to her world, and he’d go on to another assignment in his. He’d be left with nothing but memories of the passion they shared.

  And that was the way he wanted it, he reminded himself. There was no place in his life for a commitment to a woman. He couldn’t ask a woman to
share his life when he never knew from one day to the next where he would be. He was gone for months at a time, working on an assignment. Jessica deserved a man who would be there for her. And a man in his line of work wasn’t who she needed in her life.

  He abruptly began to clear the table. Jessica stood up to help him, then glanced at the phone. “What did you think was too risky?”

  He didn’t want to tell her, but he did anyway. “He wants to use you as bait. He wants us to parade around Cascadilla, to be as visible as possible. He figures that the kidnappers are watching for you. And if they see you, they’ll come after you, and we’ll have a chance to catch them.” And Simon.

  Instead of dismissing the idea, she stared at him, her eyes narrowed. He could see her thinking about the proposal, and he didn’t like what he saw.

  “Forget it, Jessica. It’s too dangerous.”

  “Why do you think so?”

  “What if something went wrong? What if we didn’t catch them? What if they managed to grab you again? I’m not willing to take that chance.”

  “What if I am?”

  “It’s not your decision to make,” he said harshly. “My partner and I have decided to wait them out.”

  “But they’re not coming out, are they?” she replied. “It’s been two weeks, and there hasn’t been any sign of them.”

  “They’ll have to come out eventually.”

  “Why? Maybe they’ve just gone off and kidnapped someone else.”

  “That hasn’t happened.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “It’s my business to be sure of things like that. Believe me, we would have heard if there had been another kidnapping in the area. We’re not going to use you for bait.”

  She raised her chin and glared at him, and his heart twisted in his chest. Jessica didn’t take orders well. She insisted on knowing the reasons, insisted on an explanation. His Jessica was strong and stubborn, and that was one of the reasons he found her so attractive.

  His Jessica? he thought with a tiny flare of panic. She wasn’t his Jessica, and she never would be. She was the woman he was protecting. She was his key to catching Simon, and he’d damn well better not forget it.

  But he wasn’t about to risk her in the process.

  “I think we should use me as bait,” she said, and he could see the wheels turning in her head. His heart sank. After two weeks, he knew her well enough to know that once she got an idea in her head, she was more tenacious than a terrier with a bone.

  “It’s too risky. I don’t want to take a chance with you,” he said, feeling as if the words were torn out of him.

  “I trust you, Marcus,” she said quietly. “I know you won’t let me get hurt.”

  “Things happen.” His voice was harsh. “Not everything can be predicted. Not everything can be prevented.”

  She gave him a slow smile. “I’m perfectly happy in this cottage with you. I don’t care how long we stay. But doesn’t your vacation have to end sometime?”

  He scowled at her but didn’t answer. She was right. They had been living a fantasy life for the past two weeks. But sooner or later he would have to go searching for Simon again. The traitor could only wait for so long. He needed money to continue his campaign against SPEAR, and if he didn’t get it from Jessica’s parents, he would have to look elsewhere. And another chance to catch him would be gone.

  “Let’s go for it.” She leaned toward him, her eyes sparkling. “Have you seen much of Cascadilla?”

  “Not really. I was laid up with my arm when I first got here, and then I found you. So I haven’t seen much beyond the resort.”

  “Perfect. We’ll be tourists, and I can show you all the sights.” She grinned at him. “We’ll go snorkeling. I can’t wait to show you the reefs.”

  “I didn’t agree,” he said, desperately trying to think of a reason to refuse.

  But there wasn’t a reason, and he knew it. The only reason was to protect Jessica, and he was brutally honest with himself. If it were anyone else, he would have used them as bait to catch Simon a long time ago.

  Shaken at the realization, he turned away. “I’m going outside for a while. I won’t go far.”

  He stepped into the balmy air and watched the tourists on the beach. Some were swimming, some sunning themselves and some lying in the shade, reading a book with a cool drink. None of them noticed him standing on the porch of the cottage.

  His emotional attachment to Jessica was clouding his judgment, making him cautious where he should be bold. His first loyalty was to SPEAR, to catching Simon.

  But he couldn’t bear the thought of risking Jessica. His thoughts went round and round like squirrels in a cage. Before he had made a decision, he heard the door open, and Jessica came out and sat beside him.

  “You’re not thinking with your head,” she said quietly. “We can’t stay in this cottage indefinitely, as much as I would like to. You know that.”

  He turned to look at her. Her eyes shone with a steady light. “I don’t want to spend any more of my time with you hiding in a cottage. I want to get this kidnapping behind me and get on with my life. With our lives.”

  Her meaning was clear to him. “There is no ‘our lives’ after this is over, Jessica,” he said, and his voice was harsh. “I thought you understood that.”

  “I don’t think this is the time to discuss it. And it doesn’t matter, anyway. You know what we have to do.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He turned to look at the beach. And it did matter. It was going to be the hardest thing he ever did, but he was walking away from her after this was all over. He owed her that. He had taken too much from her already, and he wanted to take far more. He had never met anyone like Jessica. His heart clenched when he thought about leaving her. But he had to do it.

  And maybe that was why he was so reluctant to do as she suggested. Maybe, deep down, he knew that it was the beginning of the end. And God knew he didn’t want what they shared to end.

  “It’ll be all right, Marcus. You’ll keep me safe. And once those kidnappers are behind bars, we’ll be free.”

  Once the kidnappers were behind bars, he would have to catch Simon. And he’d have to do it while guarding Jessica. He knew from bitter experience that Simon was as brilliant as he was evil. He’d do exactly the opposite of what anyone would expect. And Marcus refused to take a chance that he’d go after Jessica himself.

  “Okay,” he said, not looking at her. “You’re right. We don’t have any choice. I’ll call my partner and let him know what we’ve decided. Then we’ll figure out our strategy.”

  She gave him a smile, then leaned over and kissed him. Desire, which was never far from the surface with Jessica, exploded into life. He leaned over to kiss her again, and she melted against him.

  Stay here with me, he wanted to whisper. Let’s ignore the world, Simon, the kidnappers, everything but the two of us.

  But he didn’t do it. He couldn’t. He’d promised to catch Simon, and he would. So he tore his mouth away from hers, slowly put some distance between them. If he didn’t, they would end up in bed together.

  And they had things to do. Jessica’s eyes fluttered open. He saw the passion in their amber depths, the need, and he wanted to reach out to her. Instead he said, “Hold that thought for a while.”

  “I will.” Her voice was smoky with passion and desire. She smiled at him, and his heart turned over in his chest. “Just don’t make me hold it for too long.”

  It took all his willpower to stand up and extend a hand to her. Pulling her to her feet, he said lightly, “Let me make that phone call.”

  He saw the flicker of disappointment in her eyes. Then she nodded. “I’ll clean up from lunch.”

  The phone call to Russell Devane didn’t take long. Devane breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God you’ve come to your senses. It’s about time you took her around Cascadilla. It’s our only hope of drawing those two kidnappers out. And catching Simon.”

  “I know
that. Just make sure you’re around in case there’s any trouble today.”

  “We’ll be there. Where are you going?”

  “Into the capital city,” he said after thinking for a moment. “That’s where the crowds will be. And being a city, it’s the most likely place for the kidnappers to have gone to ground.”

  “We’ll watch for you. Get a taxi to let you off at the market.”

  “Will do.”

  He snapped the phone closed and slipped it into his pocket. Then he retrieved his gun and slid it into the waistband of his shorts.

  Jessica came out of the kitchen in time to see him do it. She stilled, a dish towel in her hand, and stared at him for a moment. Then she smiled brightly. “Are we all set?”

  “As soon as you’re ready.”

  “Where are we going to go?”

  “Into the capital.”

  She nodded. “That’s a good choice.” She gave him a quick grin. “And I can get more clothes at the market. That way I won’t have to keep wearing yours.”

  He liked to see her wearing his shirts. But he thinned his lips and nodded. This wasn’t about what he liked. “Let’s go, then.”

  Chapter 10

  Jessica leaned back in the cab and watched the sights of Cascadilla flashing past. She had always loved the island, loved its colorful culture and friendly people. And under any other circumstances, she would have been excited about the prospect of showing the island to Marcus.

  Although he had agreed to leave the safety of the cottage, he didn’t seem happy about being here. He sat on the other side of the taxi, staring out the window. When he leaned forward, she could see the dark gray metal of his gun at his back.

  It was a sobering reminder that they weren’t on a pleasure trip. They were pretending to be tourists, on vacation and carefree, but the reality was far different. The smiling, gracious face of Cascadilla was a mask that hid an ugly truth. They were the hunted, and they would have to be constantly on alert. Her momentary pleasure faded. The terror of her kidnapping came surging back. Now she was deliberately putting herself in the way of those two men again.