Coveted Kiss (Savage Security Book 3)

by Karen Tjebben

  Mike pointed to his ear and mouthed, “Is someone listening?” He cocked an eyebrow. If Aditya had partners, and they knew she had at least one, they could be listening in on them right now. He now regretted mentioning the word ‘bug’ out loud. He should have written it down.

  Logan shrugged, the possibility was there. He left the bug in the space and then shut down the computer. He’d have to check the bug to see if it was still transmitting, but he wanted to take it to the lab at work to run some tests on it. Closing the computer, he carried it into his bedroom, slid it into his backpack and put it in his closet. If there was anyone listening, they’d soon figure out that they’d been discovered since they would now be in silence.

  Mike grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled out a message for Logan while he took care of the laptop. They needed to check the house for any other possible bugs.

  Mike signaled to Logan as he walked down the hallways towards the office again. Mike handed Logan the note.

  Need to sweep house. Could be more.

  Logan nodded. If she’d planted one, she may have planted more.

  Mike went to the closet by the front door and grabbed his coat. “I’ve got some paint brushes we can use at home. You get started in the office, and I’ll be right back.” Slipping his arms through the sleeves of his leather jacket, he gave Logan and firm head nod and went out the door.

  Logan locked up behind Mike. What a fucked-up mess. He trudged back into the office and decided he wasn’t going to waste any time. Cleaning his office could wait, but the mystery of the bug couldn’t. He gathered his things together and rushed to the lab at Savage Security.

  11

  Bella tossed her cell onto the sofa cushion beside her. Her left elbow rested on the armrest as she nestled her head into her palm. Dragging the fingers of her other hand across her forehead, she let out a low moan.

  Jack looked up from his laptop and glanced at her. “Everything okay?” He checked the time on the computer screen. “You can’t have more pain pills for another half-hour.”

  Bella shifted her body and leaned on the armrest so she could see him without craning her neck. “Everything’s good.” She paused and thought back to the conversation with Alisha that she’d just had. Then she smiled and continued, “The pain isn’t too bad. Narcotics are miracle workers.”

  Jack laughed. She was on some heavy stuff, so hopefully she’d feel better soon. He couldn’t help but overhear her earlier conversation with Alisha. She’d kept it brief, blaming the pain and difficulty talking on her throat, but she’d left out a lot of the details of the attack. He’d gone over the story with her before she called, and she’d stayed on point. He was proud of her.

  Bella’s eyes flit to the Christmas tree in the corner of the room. Her favorite time of year was ruined. Even the tree looked dismal without the lights sparkling. It depressed her. She wanted something to be beautiful in the midst of this mess. She glanced at Jack again and asked, “Would you turn on the lights?” She pointed to the tree.

  “Good idea,” Jack said with an easy smile. Setting his laptop on the coffee table, he stood from the sofa. In a few steps, he was at the tree. He knelt beside the tree skirt and rested his weight on one knee. Picking up the light cord, he plugged it into the outlet.

  White lights glowed against the fake evergreen boughs. He stood and set his hands on his hips and admired the tree. He liked the ornaments. They were mostly glass and resembled the old-fashioned ornaments his grandparents had used. It looked classy, just like Bella. “Looks good,” he said with a head nod.

  He was right. The tree looked a thousand times better with the lights brightening the ornaments. It even improved her mood. “I love it,” she said softly. She wasn’t sure which image was nicer, the finely decorated tree or her handsome protector.

  “Jack,” she began as he made his way back to the sofa. “What are you doing for Christmas? You never said.” She didn’t want him to miss out on a nice Christmas with friends or family because he was babysitting her.

  Jack eased back onto the sofa. Resting an arm along the sofa back, he slid a smile onto his face. “I don’t have any special plans. I figured I’d be your shadow.” His lips curved into a smile as he raised an eyebrow. “That is, if you let me,” he added playfully. “With everything going on, I’d like to watch out for you.” He waited for her response, but all she did was take a breath. “There are still a lot of unknowns right now.”

  “Yeah,” she said on a sigh as her eyebrows drew together. Were they safe now, or was Eric part of a cell that would come after them again?

  She fiddled with the edge of the blanket that covered her legs. “I usually spend Christmas with my family, but this year my parents are going on a Christmas cruise. It’s their thirtieth wedding anniversary.” She chuckled and gazed into Jack’s eyes. She liked the various shades of green that made-up his irises. For such a strong man, she saw a lot of kindness in his features.

  “They invited me,” she continued, “but I declined. I won’t be inviting them on any cruises I take with my husband.” Husband, as if. She had trouble finding a steady boyfriend. She dated plenty, but she’d never found someone who captivated her heart and mind, not until Eric. She’d believed he was smart and kind. He’d played that character well, but he had the integrity of a life-time politician from D.C. She snorted, feeling stupid. She’d thought Eric had liked her, but instead he’d used her in the worst way. He’d faked his feelings for her and whispered all kinds of wonderful garbage into her ears just so he could try and kill her friends.

  Jack didn’t like how she stared past him, her eyes glazing over and her lips hardening into a frown. He wished she were a little closer on the sofa. With his arm stretched along the top, she was just out of his reach. “What are you thinking?”

  She blinked rapidly and then focused on Jack’s face. “Honestly?” Did she want to have this conversation with Jack? Not really, but she’d already humiliated herself with her excitement about Eric. Could she really do much more to make herself look lame? “I was thinking about Eric. I feel bad about falling for him. I put everyone in jeopardy.”

  Jack hated the pain in her expression and words. “You shouldn’t feel bad. You did nothing wrong.” Jack scooted closer to her and stroked her shoulder. “He was well-trained. He knew how to manipulate you. He fooled a lot of us. If he hadn’t used you, he would have figured something else out.”

  She looked up at him through her lashes. “Not you,” she said with conviction. “He didn’t fool you. You didn’t like him from the start.” She’d been irritated with Jack’s behavior the night she brought Eric to the work Christmas party. He’d been a total ass, but now she’d wished she’d taken his disapproval as a red flag.

  Jack inhaled deeply as he organized his thoughts. He had been rude to Eric from the moment they’d met, but not for the reasons that she thought. “You’re right. I didn’t like him at all, but it had nothing to do with thinking he was involved in terrorism or that he was trying to hurt you.”

  Her brows pulled together as she bit her bottom lip. She pulled her legs up and crossed them on the sofa. “Then why’d you hate him?”

  Jack laughed, the sound vibrating through his chest. He’d almost lost her because he hadn’t been honest with her. He wasn’t going to do that again; although he didn’t know if she was ready to hear what he had to say. Deciding it was worth the risk, he said, “I was jealous.” He took in another breath. Her response would probably kill him, but he went for it anyway. “I’ve had a little crush on you for a while.” He studied her face, trying to read her emotions. Her eyes brightened as her lips formed a smile.

  Bella cocked her head and tucked her black hair behind her ear. Had she heard him correctly? He liked her? “You had a crush on me?” she asked for confirmation.

  “Ha!” Jack laughed. His heart hammered in his chest as it beat to a chaotic rhythm. He might as well go all in. He noted the past tense she’d used. “I have a crush on you. Have for
a long time.”

  She’d never seen it. She’d been thinking that he didn’t like her. That he was being professional when they interacted because his feelings for her were nonexistent. “Wow,” she smiled. “But you never made a move.” She shook her head with curiosity.

  Now he was curious. He rested an ankle on his knee and turned so that he faced her more. “Why does it surprise you to find out that I have a crush on you?” His feelings were actually way past ‘crush’ stage, but no reason to freak her out any more than she already was.

  She leaned forward to pick up the glass of water that was on the table in front of the sofa, but pain radiated from her ribs. She sat back again and tenderly touched her ribs with one hand. Jack hated to see her in pain, but she was lucky to be alive.

  Jack reached for the glass and handed her the water. “Thanks,” she whispered and took a sip. Then she settled herself into a comfortable position, one knee bent with her leg resting on the cushion while the other leg dangled over the sofa edge. She rested the glass of water on the blanket that covered her leg. “We’ve known each other for a while.” She recalled the day they’d met. She’d been interviewing with Cole when Jack burst into the office. She’d noticed right away how handsome he was, but she’d always kept it professional. She was not going to be the girl at the office who slept her way through her coworkers.

  She gave him a weak smile and continued, “You were always fun and friendly, but honestly, I noticed a change in you after Alisha’s attack. I always thought it was because of my interference. I thought that you were angry that I barged into the meeting and gave my opinion. I convinced you all not to hide her at the office.” She scoffed. If she could go back and change her opinion that day, she would. She’d stay in the chair behind her desk and let the guys do what they do. Protect people.

  “I was wrong.” Sadness laced her words. She’d regretted her intrusion once she’d heard about Alisha’s abduction. Guilt had haunted her since she’d visited Alisha in the hospital and saw the damage the stalker had done to her. And now she had the weight of falling for Eric’s sly game to carry around too.

  He thought over her words, trying to picture the event in his mind. She’d stood in the conference room doorway with her hands on her hips in defiance as she shot down the idea of holding Alisha at the office against her will. He’d enjoyed seeing the heat in her face and hearing the passion in her voice. “I was never mad at you about that. I’m not sure why you thought that.” He cocked his head and asked, “Did I do something?” He couldn’t remember saying or doing anything that would make her think he was angry at her.

  She’d thought about that moment many times. She’d stood in the doorway as his eyes had raked over her from head to toe, slowly appraising her, but it wasn’t just that. His gaze had turned predatory and penetrated her. She’d felt naked before him, exposed. “It was the way you looked at me. Like a predator.”

  “A predator?” Jack blew out and swiped his hand through his hair. If anything, he’d been thinking about having sex with her, but he was smart enough not to reveal that tidbit of information. “I’m sorry that you thought that. And I was never angry with you for stepping in that day. What you said was true. Hindsight, we should have taken Alisha, kept her safe. But the truth is, we don’t kidnap people… usually,” he laughed at her smile. “It was Alisha’s call, and you respected that. It played out the way it played out. Thankfully she’s doing great now.” He shrugged and smiled, “And we’re not in jail or unemployed.”

  Bella couldn’t help but smile, but she did feel a twinge of pain around her bruised eye as her cheeks rose. She’d always liked the cocky grin on him. Jack was a good-looking man. He kept his dirty blond hair cropped short along the sides and just long enough to comb to the side on top. Sometimes, after he’d run his fingers through his hair, it would stand up on top. She’d always liked that carefree look on him. It was sexy.

  He wanted things to change between them. He wanted to transition from coworker to lover, but he knew she couldn’t be rushed. She’d been through a harrowing experience and didn’t need him adding pressure to her. “Let’s just take this one day at a time. We’ll see what happens over the next few days. Cole’s going to talk to Captain Wallace and hopefully get us assigned to finding this cell.”

  “Can Captain Wallace do that? Does he have that kind of power?” She had no idea how these things were handled.

  Jack shrugged a shoulder. “He knows the right people. Savage Security has already been pulled into it. The enemy literally put a target on us. We know more about the situation than anyone else, so Cole’s going to encourage Captain Wallace to use our skills to resolve the problem.”

  “Hmm,” she nodded. “Makes sense.”

  Now what was she going to do with this tidbit of information concerning Jack’s feelings? What did that mean? What would happen between them?

  Jack had dropped a bomb on her, regarding his feelings, and he didn’t want things to get awkward between them. “So,” he tossed his hand in a casual flip. “Maybe when this is all over, we can get dinner sometime.”

  The corners of Bella’s mouth quirked up. “Sounds nice.” She gave a casual shrug when she felt anything but casual. Her stomach flittered as she contemplated the fall out that could result from dating a coworker if things didn’t work out. Would she end up having to find a new job? Was having Jack at her apartment a mistake? Should she ask for one of the other guys to watch over her? No, she couldn’t do that. He’d be insulted, and she’d be sabotaging their potential relationship before it even started.

  Picking up the remote, she looked at him and asked, “Mind if I watch television?”

  “Not at all.”

  Bella clicked on the television and went to Hulu. Jack tried to read her as she stared at the screen. She didn’t find the jokes on the sitcom funny. She also chewed on her bottom lip. It was obvious that she was distracted. He hoped he hadn’t ruined his chances with her by being so honest.

  12

  Wednesday Late Afternoon

  Jack tapped away on his laptop from the sofa. He stayed busy looking through the photos and videos that he’d received the day before concerning the Black Widow’s kills and the bombing of the training camp, Operation Recluse. When they’d learned about the Black Widow, he’d never imagined that Logan would be dating her. And now, he couldn’t imagine how Logan felt about everything.

  He was thankful that the Black Widow, also known as Aditya Chopra, was no longer a threat to them, but her friends could still be gunning for them. He remembered that after the bombing that destroyed the training camp, as they stalked into the destruction to check things out, they’d seen a vehicle escape into the darkness. Someone had survived. Was Eric the only one who lived, or did he have friends in the jeep with him?

  Jack fired off a quick text to Cole stating that he wanted to be involved in whatever task they’d be given to root out the terrorist cell. He didn’t want to be torn away from Bella, but he also wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines and let his friends do the work of hunting down the monsters who were determined to harm them.

  Bella’s foot twitched against his thigh. He turned his head slightly and looked at her. She lay nestled quietly with a pillow under her head on the sofa. Even with her bruised face she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He hated that Eric had used her so horribly. The bastard deserved to die, but Jack took some solace in the fact that Eric would provide information on the local cell and possibly cells in the Middle East.

  Jack moved the blanket that lay over her to cover her feet and then gently placed his hand on her leg. She slept so peacefully, curled up on the couch. Her head was at the other end and she fit snuggly in the space with her knees bent and toes grazing his thigh. He hoped her ribs wouldn’t kill her when she woke. He wished she were comfortably in her bed, but she’d refused to go back to her room. She’d said she’d wanted company.

  Was that because she was afraid of being alone, or was it b
ecause she wanted to be with him? He knew which he wanted it to be.

  A soft moan had him checking the time. She was due for more pain meds, but he didn’t want to wake her, so he let her sleep.

  His cell rang. He tapped the screen. “Yeah,” he said, moving his laptop to the coffee table in front of the sofa. He stood, rolling his shoulders, and looked down at her. His heart clenched with affection. He was glad he’d mentioned that he had a crush on her. He took it as a good sign that she hadn’t wandered away from him to hide in her room.

  “How’s Bella?” Cole asked. He’d been thinking about her. After seeing the video of her attack, he had a whole new respect for her. He’d always known she was tender hearted, but he hadn’t realized what a scrapper she was.

  Jack clenched and unclenched his fist. He wanted to do something. He hated sitting in her apartment while the others were working to resolve the situation, but he wouldn’t leave her unprotected. “Good, considering. She’s sleeping.”

  “Good,” Cole harrumphed. “We’ve had a development.”

  What now? “Go ahead,” Jack replied.

  Cole watched from the lobby as Mike checked the other rooms of Savage Security for bugs. The lobby and conference room were clean. “Logan’s computer was bugged. So far we haven’t found another one.”

  Jack moved his jaw back and forth as he thought. “Want me to come over? I’ve been looking at pics.”

  “Yes, bring your computer.”

  Bella stretched her legs into the space where Jack had been sitting and moaned again. He could tell that her eyes fluttered behind her eyelids. He’d been watching for signs of a nightmare. She didn’t need to relive her attack in her sleep.