“Nervous?”
Marcus touched her hand, and she looked over at him. “A little,” she confessed.
“I’d be worried if you weren’t.” He squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile, his eyes softening. She turned her palm over to twine her fingers with his.
“I keep telling myself that nothing could happen in the middle of a city. But I thought the same thing about my parents’ island.”
He brought her hand to his mouth, his lips lingering on her fingers. “We should be safe today,” he said. “Even if they were to spot you, they wouldn’t be expecting you and so they probably wouldn’t have time to react. But from now on, we have to expect trouble.”
“I know,” she said, and she cursed the tremor in her voice. This was the right thing to do.
“There will be lots of people watching us,” he said, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm. She held on tightly. “And they have the pictures. They know what the kidnappers look like. Don’t worry, the two men who kidnapped you won’t get close to us.”
“I know that. And I know I’m being silly.”
“You’re not being silly,” he said gently. “You’re too smart not to realize the danger in what we’re doing. And I’m sure this has brought back the memories of your kidnapping.”
“It’s hard not to think of it,” she confessed. “Especially when we’re trying to lure those two men out of hiding.”
“I’ll be here, Jessica. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I know.” She trusted him completely—even though he hadn’t wanted to do this. He’d been vehement about it. She wondered whether it was because it would mean the end of their time together. She hoped so, but didn’t have the nerve to ask him.
But now that he’d decided they needed to be seen around the island, all traces of hesitation had vanished. He was a different man than the one who made love to her so tenderly every night. This Marcus was almost a stranger. He stared out the window with hard eyes, watching everything. His gaze was cold and calculated as he swept the area. A coiled tension emanated from him, winding more and more tightly as they approached the center of the city.
When the taxi stopped, he leaned forward to pay the driver, then turned to her. “I’ll need to hold your hand all the time,” he said rapidly in a low voice. “If you see anything unusual, squeeze my hand. Don’t turn around and look or point.”
She wanted to interrupt, tell him that she knew better, but the focused, intent look on his face stopped her. Marcus was a warrior, she recognized with a shimmer of awareness, and he was preparing to go into battle.
He had kept this fierce, elemental part of himself carefully hidden from her. Was it because he was afraid it would frighten her away? With a flash of insight, she realized that it was. She knew Marcus considered himself to be too old, too experienced for her. But it wouldn’t have mattered. She’d been attracted to his strength from the very beginning. And she knew what kind of man was hidden beneath his fierce surface.
He was tender and loving, and so careful of her. He claimed he was satisfied with his solitary life, but she had seen the yearning and the need in his eyes when he thought she wasn’t looking. Marcus needed her as much as she needed him.
And she was beginning to realize that she needed him far more than was safe or wise.
But right now they had to worry about more dangerous things, and she reluctantly focused her attention on their surroundings. Marcus accepted his change from the taxi driver, handed him a tip, then pulled her out of the car.
They stood in the street, and she looked around, trying to get her bearings. The crowds of people and the noise were almost oppressive. She moved closer to Marcus, and he smiled at her. But she could see his eyes watching everything around them.
“It’s a little overwhelming,” she said in a low voice.
“That’s because you’ve spent the last two weeks isolated from the world. All this noise and all these people are a shock.” He bent and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “Give it a few minutes and you’ll be fine.”
“What are we going to do?” she asked.
“What would you like to do? Is there any place you’d like to go?”
He watched her patiently, and she realized that he was giving her time to steady herself, allowing her to set the pace. Tenderness swept over her. Even in such a tense moment, he was still thinking of her first.
She gave him a shaky smile. “Thank you, Marcus,” she said quietly. “Why don’t we walk in the market for a while?”
“That sounds like a good idea.” He took her hand, then looked around. Anyone watching them would assume he was just trying to get his bearings.
“My partner is signaling,” he said in a low voice. “They haven’t seen a thing.”
“All right.” She licked her lips, drew a deep, unsteady breath and folded her hand into his. “Then let’s go.”
The market was two streets over, and they strolled casually in that direction. Marcus stopped occasionally to look in a store window. He would point out some trinket and smile at her, saying something innocuous, but she watched his eyes. He was using the reflections in the glass to check behind him. His eyes moved constantly, assessing and categorizing everything around them.
“Do you see anything?” she finally asked in a low voice.
He shot her a startled look. “Is it that obvious?”
“To me it is. But I doubt anyone else would realize how carefully you’re watching.”
“You weren’t supposed to notice, either,” he muttered.
“Marcus, I’ve spent the last two weeks with you. I’ve had nothing to do but talk to you and study you.” Her voice was impatient. “Of course I know what you’re going to do.”
He turned to look at her, and there was a peculiar look in his eyes. “Two weeks isn’t that much time.”
It was long enough for her to know what she wanted. And she wanted Marcus.
The thought shocked her. Her step faltered, and Marcus slowed, glancing at her. “Are you all right?”
“I just stumbled,” she answered quickly, keeping her face averted from Marcus. He would certainly be able to read the shock and surprise she was sure was in her eyes.
“How about an ice cream cone?” he said, pointing toward a small shop.
“That sounds good.”
A few minutes later they walked out of the tiny store. Jessica licked her ice cream absently, her mind racing. She had always thought her career would be the most important thing in her life. She had planned for it, worked for it with a single-minded dedication that had her on the brink of receiving her Ph.D. at a very young age.
But that was before she’d met Marcus. Now she could think of nothing but him.
Maybe she was enthralled with him because he had shown her the passionate, physical side of herself. Maybe that was all it was.
But she knew it went far deeper than that. She knew she was fascinated by everything about Marcus, by the emotions and feelings that wove beneath his hard, tough exterior. Emotions he tried very hard to hide.
“You’re awfully quiet.” His voice interrupted her thoughts, and she licked her ice cream cone before she answered.
“I was concentrating on finishing this before the heat got to it.” She scrambled to make her voice light and carefree.
“And here I thought you were thinking about me.”
Her startled gaze flew to his face. Desire smoldered in the depths of his eyes, and as she licked her ice cream again, she watched his face tighten.
A wave of answering desire swept over her, and she wished they were at the cabin. His eyes darkened. “Me, too,” he whispered. He bent to kiss her, and she clung to him, kissing him back.
After a moment he stepped away. He still held her hand, and she could feel him shaking. “That’s the last time I’m buying you an ice cream cone,” he said, his voice throbbing with need.
“And here I was enjoying it so much.”
“Yeah
, I know. That’s the problem.” He brought their joined hands to his mouth and kissed her fingers one at a time. “But I need to enjoy it more privately.”
“Is that a promise?” Her voice was shaky, and her legs felt wobbly. Desire flowed through her veins, sharp and sweet.
“You’d better believe it.”
She could barely tear her gaze from his, from the promise in his eyes. Then a man stepped out from the alley ahead of them, startling her. She jerked to a halt and Marcus spun around, his hand reaching behind his back.
They stood frozen for what felt like an eternity, but was only a moment. Almost as if it was part of his quick movement, Marcus’s hand fell away from his shirt, and he tugged her forward to begin walking again. The man who had appeared in front of them melted into the crowds and disappeared.
“What was that all about?” she asked, her voice low and still shaky with desire.
“That was one of my partners.” His voice was grim. “He was reminding me to pay attention to what was going on.”
“I’m sorry, Marcus.”
“It’s not your fault.”
She looked at him and saw that he had shuttered his face, his eyes hard and unforgiving of himself. “It’s not your fault, either,” she said. “We just forgot.”
“I can’t forget what we’re supposed to be doing, Jessica.” His voice was harsh and angry. “If I do, you could get killed.”
“It’s all right. Nothing happened.”
“Only because we were damned lucky.” His face had settled into rigid, unyielding lines. “But don’t worry, it won’t happen again.”
“Don’t beat yourself up like this, Marcus,” she said gently. “It was only a matter of a few seconds.”
“That’s all someone would need to kill you.”
“Fine,” she said, losing patience with him. “You go ahead and have a pity party for yourself. I’m going to look around the market. I need some more clothes.”
He glanced at her, startled, and she gave him a hard glare. “I mean it, Marcus. You’re not perfect, and neither am I. We made a mistake. The world didn’t end. Now get over it.”
His eyes glinted dangerously, but she refused to look away. Finally his eyes softened and his mouth twitched. “I guess I’ve been put in my place,” he murmured.
“It looks like that’s a new experience for you.”
Slowly he smiled at her and shook his head. “I know one other woman who would have chewed me out just like you did. The only difference is, she would have done it in Spanish.”
A fierce spasm of jealousy crashed over her. “I see,” she said coolly.
He grinned. “I don’t think you do. She’s a colleague of mine. She’s engaged to another man.”
Marcus tightened his hand on Jessica’s and bent to press a quick kiss to her lips. Had it only been two weeks ago that he was feeling sorry for himself, regretting that she had chosen Carlos over him? Had so much changed in such a small amount of time?
He glanced at Jessica beside him. Apparently it had. He couldn’t pinpoint the time when Jessica had become so important to him, but it had happened just the same. She’d crept around the barriers he had erected and found a place inside him.
He saw the uncertain look on her face and cursed his stupidity. Why had he mentioned Margarita? In spite of the way she responded to him, Jessica was a beginner when it came to men. He should have known she’d be hurt and confused.
“She’s a good friend, Jessica. Nothing more.”
She looked at him, searching his face. “She wasn’t always, though, was she?”
How did a twenty-one-year-old become so wise? “It was never more than that on her part,” he said ruefully. “I guess I imagined myself in love with her for a while. But I think it was because I knew she wasn’t in love with me and never would be. She was safe. I would never have to make a commitment to her.”
“Is that so hard for you to do?” she asked softly.
“My only commitment is to my job. That’s the way it is, and that’s the way it’s always been.”
“That’s a lonely way to live, isn’t it?”
“It’s the way I’ve chosen.”
He expected her to back away. After all, he had all but told her he wasn’t interested in a long-term relationship with a woman. But instead, she let go of his hand and looped her arm through his. “Poor Marcus.”
“Poor Marcus? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
She gave him a serene smile. “I thought we were supposed to be watching what’s going on around us. Maybe we should continue this conversation at some other time.”
She was right, dammit. He scowled at her, but she was looking around, acting like she wasn’t interested in anything but the variety of goods displayed in the stalls. They had reached the market and the crowds milled around the various merchants.
He scowled again, angry with himself. He’d allowed himself to get distracted just when he’d vowed not to let it happen again.
“Give me your hand,” he said, his voice cold.
She glanced at him and smiled, ignoring his simmering anger. “I don’t see anyone in the crowd paying us any attention. Your partners must be good.”
He was startled by her answer. Apparently she’d been watching while he’d been brooding. The thought should have made him angry all over again, but instead he felt a softening in his heart, a feeling of pride in his chest. “It’s a good thing one of us has been paying attention,” he said gruffly. “Thank you, Jessica.”
“I guess we make a good pair.” There was a touch of smugness in her voice as she slipped her hand into his.
“I think you’ve got a smart mouth,” he said mildly. But her words stung his heart. They did make a good pair. Not only did they fit together perfectly in bed, but he enjoyed her company just as much out of bed. The dark places in his life didn’t seem so dark when Jessica was with him.
And he wasn’t going to get used to it. They might have a few more days together, but that was it. It had been a magical two weeks, but outside of the cottage on the beach, there was no place where their lives intersected.
“Let’s find some clothes for you,” he said, determined not to let his attention be drawn away again. “What do you want?”
They spent the next hour searching through the stalls and tiny shops. Marcus caught sight of Russell Devane several times, as well as two other SPEAR agents he recognized. But there was no sign of the kidnappers.
Finally Jessica turned to him. “I have plenty of clothes now. Is there anything you want?”
Only you. The thought shocked him, and he shook his head quickly. “I wasn’t washed up on the shore with only the clothes on my back. I’m fine.” He curved his mouth into a smile. “But I’ll admit that I’m going to miss seeing you wearing my T-shirts.”
She gave him a sultry smile. “I think you might enjoy some of the things I bought even more.”
The immediate rush of desire shocked him. “You’re teasing me,” he muttered, aching with the need to hold her.
“I am, aren’t I?” She looked delighted with herself, and he longed to bend down and kiss her. But he merely tightened his grip on her hand. “I’ve never flirted before. Do you realize that?”
“It sounds to me like you’re making up for lost time.”
She grinned at him. “I think I like it.”
God help him. Jessica was hard enough to resist at the best of times. With a dancing devil in her eye and an exhilarated smile on her face, she was completely beguiling. And she took his breath away. “Let’s go find a taxi,” he muttered.
Her smile faltered. “Is something wrong?”
“Yeah. We’re in far too public a place for what I want to do with you.”
Her eyes widened, and he felt her draw in a quick breath. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh.”
He pulled her toward a taxi stand, and they climbed into the first car, a rickety, beat-up vehicle. He hardly noticed the torn upholstery, the must
y smell of dampness or the air of neglect. He gave the driver terse directions, then turned to Jessica.
She was staring at him, her eyes huge and dark. He heard her breathing, rapid and shallow in the muffled silence of the cab. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers, drawing them one by one into his mouth. He felt her shudder when he wrapped his tongue around her pinky, lightly suckling it.
When he released her hand, he bent close to her ear. “That’s not what I really want to taste,” he whispered. “But you’ll have to use your imagination until we get home.”
She gripped his hand tightly, and a tiny moan escaped her lips. She was panting, and she blindly turned her face into his neck. He felt her breath on his skin, hot and moist, and then he felt the hesitant touch of her tongue against his neck.
He shuddered and wrapped his arm around her, but he forced himself to keep his eyes open and watch as they drove through the streets of Cascadilla. “Don’t,” he said in a low voice as she touched him with her tongue again. “I need to pay attention.”
“You shouldn’t have started it, then.”
She was right, he shouldn’t have started it. But it was almost impossible not to touch her, not to want her. And he found it terrifying.
“We’re almost there,” he said. He watched the traffic, looking for anything out of place. But even as he worked, he couldn’t let go of her.
After what seemed like an eternity, they drove through the gates of the resort. He gave the driver directions, then leaned back and looked around one more time.
No one had followed their taxi. He was sure of it. They drove past the pool, past the tennis courts, and no one looked out of place. No one watched the taxi, and no one followed their progress through the grounds.
He directed the taxi to stop several cottages before theirs. He fumbled some money into the driver’s hand, then stood close to Jessica until the taxi had disappeared. Only then did he turn and take her hand.
They didn’t walk directly to the cottage. He pulled her behind a different cottage, and they stood there for a long time as he listened. He wanted to be certain he hadn’t led Jessica’s kidnappers to her hiding place. As they stood in the heat, his heart raced and his palms tingled, but he knew it wasn’t from fear. He wanted Jessica with a desperate hunger, wanted to join their bodies, wanted to shout to the world that she belonged to him.
Someone To Watch Over Her Page 12
