“I won’t.”
“Ah, well, too bad. Could have used you last month in that sweep up near Manchester.” He nodded to Maggie. “A pleasure, Ms. Kincade. Good day to you.” His boots tapped with military precision across the foyer and out to the front door. Then sirens keened, breaking the stillness, and a car sped down the drive.
“Aren’t you going to ask?” Jared followed her to the window and traced the stiff line of her jaw.
Maggie swallowed. “She must have been a special woman.”
“Not special,” Jared said harshly. “Tormented. Brilliant. Insatiable. But not special.” His hand anchored her shoulder. “Turn around, Maggie. Look at me.” She turned, almost against his chest, almost close enough to be swallowed up by the strange restlessness in his eyes. “What else do you want to know?”
All of it, she wanted to say. But the controlled tension in his body warned her that he was struggling with bitter memories, and Maggie was afraid the wrong question would hurt them both.
“It’s not easy to remember. It’s even harder to talk about. Still, you have a right to answers.” His hands tightened, then slid into her hair. “Ask me.”
“Tell me about Thailand. Tell me about that box the officer mentioned.” She swallowed. “Tell me about your job in Hong Kong.”
She felt tension lance through him again. “Antiterrorism. There was a flood of panic at the thought of millions of hostiles held back by flimsy wooden gates and checkpoints. If the Chinese government chose to move in, there was no way we could have stopped them. But in the end they didn’t. Instead there was a constant stream of isolated incidents. Most of it was criminal, part of the endless infighting of rival Triad gangs staking out a power base.” He made a tight, angry sound. “That’s where Daphne Ling came in. She was Triad through and through, even though Cox refuses to believe it. Her husband was a very highly placed ‘dragon,’ and I have no doubt it was his idea to see how many government agents Daphne could sink her lovely claws into.”
“Did she succeed? With you?” Maggie whispered, already hating this woman she had never seen.
“She tried. I think it amused her at first when she failed. Then she was not amused. I can’t go into all the details, but I can tell you that she became a useful source for our own misinformation to the Triads.”
“You mean you fed her false information?”
“The information she received was … reworded.” Jared shrugged. “Don’t waste your sympathy on Daphne. She knew exactly what she was doing.”
“What about that man Cox? Didn’t he know what she was?”
Jared shifted restlessly. “He saw the evidence. Right up to the end, he argued that she was telling the truth.” When Maggie hesitated, his hands tightened. “Go on and ask. I don’t want lies between us. I’ll tell you what I can, even if it’s less than what you want.”
“What happened that day in Kowloon?”
“It was a setup. The bomb was planted by the Triads to make the British look like cold-blooded killers. The ruse might have worked if we hadn’t managed to move most of the Chinese civilians out of the way. When it was over, Daphne showed up and swore that the Triads had ordered her death. Cox put her inside a truck with the second bomb disposal crew and told her it was the one place she would be safe. But someone had stashed a little gift in her handbag.” Jared took a harsh breath. “They detonated the bomb right outside the National Bank of China. Cox saw the reports, but he refuses to believe them. He says I missed the second bomb—and that I did it on purpose. Now you see why the Chinese say keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
Horror left Maggie silent. “You wouldn’t do something like that.”
“No,” he said. “But try explaining that to Cox.”
“Is Daphne Ling why you left the service?”
“That—and other things.”
Maggie tilted her head. “What other things?”
She had to know the rest of it. If there were shadows, she meant to share them with this brooding, honorable man. “Marston said you’d been posted all over the world. He mentioned Thailand.”
Something moved in his eyes. “I was there. Three and a half years.”
The sirens were gone now. The abbey lay quiet around them, hiding the secrets of its own restless past.
“Was that your last posting?”
“It was.”
Maggie felt him drawing away from her. He frowned as if he was back in some crowded Asian street or stifling jungle.
“Tell me what happened.”
“Do you really want to know, Maggie?”
She nodded, frightened by his detachment, as if he was considering a stranger’s past, rather than his own.
“You think you do, but you don’t.” His voice was cold and controlled.
“Let me decide that.”
He moved one hand to the window, his face cast into shadow. “I made a mistake. I was caught. Nothing original about the story.”
“There’s more,” Maggie said softly. She was frozen by the physical and emotional distance that stretched between them now. “So where does that leave us, Jared?”
“I’m trying, Maggie. I don’t want to keep you out. You’re just what I’ve needed—a wild wind to storm through my life and knock me flat.”
“Hardly a compliment,” she muttered.
“But it is. The best kind. I’ve been forced to change, and it’s come at a high price. I’ve had to question everything around me, but I don’t want to question you, Maggie.”
“Then don’t. Just open your arms and let me in.” She stood waiting, suddenly fearless, offering all she had to give to this strong, restless man who faced death without a second thought. “How bad could it be? You haven’t been involved in any junk bond scandals, have you?”
“You don’t understand,” he said harshly, not returning her smile.
“I’m trying to,” she whispered. Her hands slid around his waist. “You’ve just saved my life, Jared. I owe you.”
“I don’t want your gratitude,” he said harshly. His muscles bunched beneath her hands.
She read the stormy uncertainty in his eyes, where need waged a hard war with rock-hard principles.
Damn a man with principles, she thought. They both could have died an hour ago They should be doing more important things than talking.
“People want me to pretend my past didn’t happen and move on,” he growled “But like you, I’ve never been good at pretending.”
“Then don’t try.” She opened one hand against his chest, feeling the beat of his heart beneath her fingers. “Maybe it’s time you followed your own advice. Put the past on a shelf, and leave it there while you get on with things, day by day and hour by hour. When you face it again, you might find that your mountain has turned back into what it was all along—a molehill.”
Jared brought his head down and brushed her hair with his lips. “What are you asking of me?”
Staring into his shadowed face, Maggie came to a grave decision. She prayed it was the right one.
“Stop talking, Jared. Stop thinking. Then kiss me.”
“Because you feel obligated?”
“Does this feel like obligation?” she whispered, fitting her slender body to his and sliding onto her toes to nuzzle his neck.
Jared closed his eyes, fighting desperately for control, feeling her honesty.
It wasn’t a thing he could misread while in such close contact. He knew that she was offering herself freely, without guilt. Without limits or conditions.
Awed, he savored that vibrant light, so much a part of her character. Light was the secret to the power of her unusual designs. How could he share the shadows of his past and his cold future with her?
“I want to kiss you. Part of me says I’m a fool not to.”
“I like that part,” she said. “He gets my vote.”
Sunlight pooled around them as Jared cupped the fine line of her cheek. “Understand me, Maggie. I’ve waited a long
time to feel this way. I’m not running away.” He smiled tensely. “Not quite. You make me remember myself before Hong Kong and Thailand. The old dreams have come drifting back and I was so sure they were all dead. But flaring hormones aren’t enough to get us through.”
“They’d feel awfully good.” She gave a brittle smile. “I’m not all that—practiced in these matters, but I know touching you would be spectacular.”
He touched her mouth with his thumb, a feathered caress that left her trembling. He read the hot wave of need that shimmered through her and its sweet, flaring afterburn. She’d never lied to him, never backed down, and never turned away. He loved her for that as much as everything else.
Love.
The realization slammed down, cold and hard like a winter storm that pounded without warning off the great loch where he’d played as a boy. How could he love her? What had he to offer her?
It was torture to hold her and not take what she was offering. She was going to end up hurt, whether he stayed or walked away. Being a gentleman couldn’t save her now. They had crossed the border that marked the edge of friendship and the beginning of intimacy.
Jared wanted her as his lover, wanted her fiercely. He wanted the shuddering moments of discovery, thigh to thigh. He could already envision her face suffused with surprise when he drove her up to a pleasure she’d never imagined.
He closed his eyes, forehead to hers as he fought his hardest battle in fifteen years of dangerous work. “Not yet, Maggie. We both need time. So we can be certain of what we want.” He forced his hands to loosen.
“You’ve got one week,” she said. “Then I put on my war paint and come after you. Trust me, you’ll be sorry you made me wait.”
“Not one week. Less,” he said gravely. “I’ve got some things to settle with the abbey’s security and there will be questions for Nicholas to tackle. Whether he wants to go on with this exhibition, for one.”
“Under the circumstances, he probably shouldn’t.”
Jared brushed the soft fall of hair from her forehead. “You don’t know Nicholas. He’s as stubborn as a bad-tempered baboon. He’ll never let you off the hook.” He felt her swift spark of hope, followed immediately by its cruel extinction “Put it on the shelf, Maggie,” Jared said, surprising himself as much as her. “Let’s both try. Just for a while.
She took a deep breath and shoved her hands through her tousled hair, leaving it a chaos of amber and gold in the sunlight. “I ought to sic Max on you. Make him knock you down and seriously rough you up.”
“If he globs any more saliva over me, I might cave in completely.”
Her hands moved on his. Slowly they opened, and slowly they pulled free. “Go,” she whispered. “Take care of your work. But don’t take too long. I have discovered I’m an impatient woman.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Jared leaned forward, tapping at his computer keyboard in the front library. It had taken him a solid half hour to finish a report about the package. The physical remains had been sent off for analysis, with a list of chemical components expected in twenty-four hours.
But his work was just beginning.
He didn’t want to think about Maggie’s face when he had left her. He couldn’t accept the gift she had offered him—not until they had answers and solid progress against their elusive enemy.
His latest conversation with Nicholas had done nothing to make Jared feel better.
It seemed there was a move afoot to see that Maggie was handled more “professionally.” That meant hard questioning, followed by threats to reveal some of her father’s shadier business transactions unless she agreed to full cooperation with a government investigation.
Jared’s fists locked on the polished table. Pressure wouldn’t work against her. It would only close her up tight. And if the government tried to step in and remove her from his protection?
Then he would have only one option. They would leave the abbey until Nicholas had a chance to countermand the decision. There were still quiet villages and deserted lochs in Scotland where two people with the right contacts could hide for months.
His watch chimed softly. Jared turned to his laptop.
Right now they needed answers.
Izzy?
Right here.
Need updates. All phone lines monitored?
Done. Records available.
Any results on that envelope I couriered to you?
Fabric held no hair or skin samples. No luck with metal case either. Absolutely clean, I’m afraid. Guess you expected that.
Jared watched a frond of asparagus fern shiver at the window. The best way to find answers was to narrow the choices. He remembered Maggie’s belief that the stolen gems would be impossible to disguise.
Anything unusual in the gem trades? Volume of jewels being offered for sale or changing hands? Any unusual gems being shown for sale or recutting? Any odd behavior by Kincade’s former contacts?
Will check. Have contact in Amsterdam who can help.
Give info soonest. Also need financial search. Medical bills for Kincade, Sarah Amelia. Chicago hospital, probably Cook County.
Looking for what?
Jared frowned at the computer. What was he looking for? An anonymous donor who had paid the family medical bills? A dummy corporation set up by Daniel Kincade to handle the family’s finances after his disappearance? Or was this just another wild-goose chase?
Need total amount of medical bills and how paid. Name and dates of checks if possible, too.
Gee, Mac, you going into healthcare business?
Not anytime soon. Also check on real estate or stock purchases by Daniel Kincade, last ten years. Send to usual file, full security.
Got it.
Final request is rundown on express delivery system. Name: Lion Express. Keep a very light touch, understood?
Understood. Expect answers tonight.
As he finished his message, Jared imagined his old associate rubbing his hands in delight over this new challenge. Izzy Teague could crack any computer or security system on the planet—business, private, even secure military systems. He had designed many of them himself. Best of all, he had an extensive network of contacts so that he could do most searches legally.
But searches still took time.
Jared sat back slowly. He was tired of playing cat and mouse. The fastest plan would be to lure Maggie’s pursuers out into the open at a time and place of Jared’s choosing. Nicholas had already made some suggestions, but all of them left questions about Maggie’s level of safety. Among the possibilities was an invitation-only auction of czarist amber coming up in Paris. If Nicholas made certain that Maggie’s presence was well publicized, Jared was certain her pursuer would wrangle an invitation, too.
And until then?
Jared rubbed the knot of tension at his neck. Until then everyone going in and out of the abbey would be personally screened and approved by him. Every delivery would be checked and Maggie would stay under observation and protection at all times.
Even if it was hell being so close to her—and wanting to be closer still, skin to naked skin beneath her in bed.
He looked up, caught by the scent of wildflowers. Max charged toward him, a piece of white fabric dangling from his head.
“Whoa, champ. This doesn’t quite look like your size.” Jared scooped up the wriggling dog and pulled off what appeared to be an undergarment of sheer white lace.
“It isn’t. But he decided it would make a perfect toy.” Maggie gave a brittle laugh, motionless and wary in the doorway. “Sorry if we interrupted you.” Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, and there was a smudge of charcoal on her cheek. She was wearing a soft sweater and a slide of deep blue silk that shimmered every time she moved.
Jared wanted to drag her down on the rug and sweep away the silk, then drive them both to sweaty oblivion.
Instead he forced a smile. “You didn’t. I was finished.”
Maggie petted Max. Then she reached
for what Jared now saw was a sheer and very delicate slip.
He couldn’t fight a wave of heat at the thought of Maggie wearing it.
And nothing else.
He had to close his hands to keep from reaching for her. “Max seems to have exceptional taste.”
Maggie tugged the lace free and glanced over Jared’s shoulder. “You must be good with computers. Me, I can never get beyond the help screen.” She rolled her shoulders, pacing the room. “Thankfully, I don’t need them much. Not that my computer skills hold any interest for you.”
“All it takes is practice.” Jared felt tension crackling from her. She was uncertain, on the edge—and he knew it would be the last thing she’d ever admit. “Have you been working?”
She leaned down to scratch Max’s head. “I tried. All I managed to do was ruin three sheets of silver.”
“Get some rest,” he said softly. “The work will wait until tomorrow.”
“Well that’s the thing.” She took a raw breath. “Since I can’t seem to work, I thought maybe…” She reached out slowly and touched his jaw with the warm curve of her palm. “If you’re finished here, I thought you might want to…”
Through the power of contact, images flared into Jared’s mind. He saw their bodies entwined, Maggie flowing against him, reckless and warm.
Jared wanted alright.
The force of what he read in her mind left his throat dry and gritty. He considered it, too. He wanted to grip her hand and pull her upstairs to enjoy a long bout of grinding, mindless sex until neither of them could remember their names.
But it would only be the start because Jared wanted far more than mindless sex. He wanted the old-fashioned, roses-and-diamonds kind of commitment. The kind of love that left a man choosing names for his first child.
But love demanded more than a night or a week. Love demanded hope—and a future that Jared wouldn’t have.
Yet even then, he considered it. He wanted Maggie that way, even when he knew he had no future to offer her.
Then her hand slid against his chest and he saw the thick bandage slanting across her thumb. “You’re cut.”
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