Anger flared. She didn’t need to make such a big deal out of a little kiss. So frustration got the best of him and he lashed out, trying to grab a moment of joy at something he was good at. After the kiss in the bed that first night, he knew they were compatible.
He should have known she’d blow it out of proportion. The women he knew would just go with it. Hell, they’d make the most of the moment. But not by-the-rules Grace. She needed to talk it to death, set parameters, probably write up procedures.
He wanted to order her to forget it, but the heft of that lead balloon wouldn’t fly. He had enough brains not to let his defensiveness get the better of him.
“Can’t we just put this behind us?” He tried for a charming smile. “I probably have a game console here somewhere. We can play a bit, relax. All very restful stuff.”
She simply stared at him. “You know, JD, I’ve given you a lot of leeway. Let things go because I know you’re hurting and that the loss of memory and concussion can make things confusing. But I draw the line at being used as a sensual punching bag. If that’s a condition of helping you, I’m going to have to retract my offer of assistance.”
“Sensual punching bag?” he repeated, offended by her attitude. “You said it was good.”
“I said I got hot and bothered,” she corrected, easing some of the burn only to ratchet it back up by demanding, “Is that the point?”
“No. Look.” He held his hands up in surrender. “Hands-off. It won’t happen again.”
“I’m not sure I can trust you. Because it happened before, didn’t it? In bed that first night.”
He rubbed a finger over his throbbing temple. “It just happened.”
“It just happened?” she repeated incredulously. “How? Tell me, JD, how does a kiss just happen?”
“Right. I can see you’re not going to be happy until I spill the whole humiliating story.”
Arms crossed over her chest, she lifted one dark eyebrow urging him to get to it already.
“I guess you deserve an apology for that, as well.” To delay the inevitable he walked around the counter and stood facing her with his hands braced on the marble. “I woke up and you were sitting next to me in the bed. You probably meant to test my vitals, check on the current state of the presidency and so on. Anyway, I was half-asleep and you were there and it happened.”
“That’s your story? You woke up and it happened?”
“Yeah,” he pushed back. His actions had been instinctive. “I was half-asleep and you looked sexy with your hair all mussed up. I reached for you without thinking about it.”
With blue eyes narrowed, she studied him as she contemplated his story.
Really? As if he’d make up being a lecherous fool.
“And what happened next?”
Geez, he knew five-year-olds who asked fewer questions. Okay, maybe not, but he wished she’d bury the bone already. How was he supposed to defend himself properly when it hurt to think?
“Once I came to my senses, I broke it off. You checked my vitals and I moved to the other bed.” He glanced away, and straightened the folder on the counter. “That was the end of it.”
“That’s everything?”
“I apologized.”
“An apology isn’t always enough. You can’t be doing this, JD.”
“I’ve said I’m sorry, and I am. I don’t want you to quit. I know ours is a professional relationship. And I respect that. But I’ll tell you this, having you around calms me. You ground me in a world out of control. Ever since I realized my memory was gone, it’s all about getting it back, finding my identity. Everything is focused out.
“Kissing you is something I did for me. It brought me peace. It brought me joy. It took me out of myself and into you. And I am sorry if it hurts you, but it just may have saved my sanity. So do I regret it? No.”
“I don’t know what to say to that. Because a kiss involves two people, JD. It can’t just be about you.”
Oh, no, she didn’t. He leaned halfway over the counter. “Don’t pretend you weren’t right there with me.”
Flames flared in her eyes, confirmation she couldn’t deny her full participation. She picked up her purse, and swung the strap over her shoulder. “I think we need a break from each other. I’m going back to the other hotel. I’ll stay there tonight and bring our stuff over in the morning.”
She swung around and headed toward the arch leading to the foyer.
No. This wasn’t what he wanted at all.
“Grace,” he called out. “You don’t have to go.”
“I really do.”
But she stopped and came back. His spirits lifted. She wasn’t leaving him, after all.
She grabbed the folder. “I’m taking this with me.” Without waiting for a response she headed out again. “Enjoy your steak dinner.”
A moment later the door closed with a distinct thud.
He wasn’t feeling any joy now.
Wait, the women he knew? That was strange. Not that the women in his past had little in common with Grace—he was getting used to the certainty without foundation. But he’d experienced no pain with the thought.
If Grace was here, she’d probably claim it was a sign of his mind healing.
Testing, he tried focusing on his last girlfriend; he opened his mind and tried to picture her here. Pain shattered through his head. Nausea curled in his stomach. Dots danced before his eyes. He dropped onto a dining room chair and lowered his head between his knees.
Sweet merciful dog biscuits. As the ringing in his ears began to fade, he conceded. Maybe he did need to rest.
* * *
Grace let herself into the Pinnacle Express hotel room and tossed her purse on the bed. She needed this time alone. JD had her so off-kilter she didn’t know how to act.
Her mind buzzed, refusing to settle on a single thought. She was flustered. And a master-at-arms never got flustered.
She hadn’t signed up for this. She’d agreed to a professional relationship.
Kissing did not belong in a professional relationship.
She dropped into the armchair and looked out on the pool. It was empty, the cool weather chasing most guests away. But in the far corner a small family enjoyed the bubbling spa.
Her bubbling emotions were much less fun.
The memory of their first kiss rolled on the screen in her head. The temptation of him sprawled nearly naked on the bed, the surprise of him reaching for her, the tenderness in his touch, the sensual feel of his mouth on hers. And him pushing her away.
Except she wasn’t one for self-deception. And she didn’t miss the fact he was the one to pull away in both encounters. She obviously had no restraint when it came to him. And, just as obviously, he did. So she’d given in to her instincts to flee, to put time and distance between them. If she was smart, she’d keep going.
Yet she’d committed to helping him.
And she had. He now knew his name. Jackson Hawke, billionaire. The truth was he didn’t need her anymore. Sure, he felt vulnerable, but he had grit and fortitude. He’d be fine. His people could give him the support he needed to find his way in the corporate world. In fact, they’d be better qualified than her by far.
But she took pride in keeping her promises. And she understood the desire to prep before putting yourself in an unknown situation.
She liked helping him. Being honest, she admitted he’d helped her, too. In the beginning the challenge of his situation gave her something to focus on at a time when she was at a loss.
The problem was he kept breaking the rules.
The kiss changed things. Her response changed everything.
She’d worked with men too long not to know they pushed the limits at every opportunity. She’d been kissed on the job before, but she’d managed to correct the misguided fool’s perception of their relationship and still work effectively with him.
Not with JD. No chance of pretending he hadn’t melted her insides. He’d called her on that bit
of self-deception.
Best to end their connection now. The obvious chemistry between them would only complicate their working relationship. Because unlike the other instances of men crossing the line with her, she actually liked kissing JD. A lot.
She pushed to her feet and began gathering JD’s things into the bag he’d bought. Cheap things he’d probably never use. Another reason to end things between them. They were from different worlds. He was high finance, glitz and glamour at its peak. She was a military brat, a law enforcement officer with an uncertain future.
And she hadn’t missed the fact he had no residence beyond hotel suites. They really had nothing in common.
So why did she miss him so much?
* * *
JD missed Grace as soon as she walked through the door. She was the only constant in the short memory of this life.
Jackson Hawke, billionaire. How freaky was that?
He wandered the suite, taking in the luxurious accommodations. There were three bedrooms and five bathrooms, including a master bath as big as the sleeping rooms he and Grace had stayed in the past few nights.
It all felt so foreign.
More familiar was the computer room, which looked like a James Bond command center. And the media/game room, furnished theater-style in dark gold, deep brown and comfortable leather. Sliding into the center seat, he ran his hand over the console. Oh, yeah, he felt right at home.
Too bad he had no one to share the moment with.
Missing Grace, he continued to wander. He found a closet with a full wardrobe of clothes. Everything from jeans to a tuxedo. All in his size. Poking around, he pulled open a drawer and found a safe. He pressed the switch at the bottom and a palm plate lit up.
He stared down at it.
“Here goes nothing.” He placed his palm on the plate. Tumblers clicked and the plate beneath his hand lifted.
Guess that settled the doubts percolating in the back of his head that the FBI had made a mistake. Something eased in him at the confirmation. Flipping the lid, his eyebrows popped up to his hairline. Cash, lots of it, filled half the box, which was about the size of a large laptop computer but about eight inches deep. A few pieces of masculine jewelry were tossed in the other half, including another watch—expensive, but not as nice as the Cartier. Under the jewelry were some papers, but he didn’t bother looking at them.
He wouldn’t be able to read them anyway.
Ah, score. No need to be able to read to recognize the passport he plucked from a plastic sleeve at the back. His brows rocketed again when he opened it to find it nearly full with stamps from foreign lands. It appeared he was well traveled.
He looked around to share it with Grace—actually walked into the next room looking for her before he recalled she’d left. So he reached into his pocket for a phone. Only he didn’t have one. Damn concussion, messing with his head. It wasn’t the first time he’d blipped on something so obvious. This one, like the others, he’d keep to himself.
Missing Grace, and grumpy over the fact he couldn’t contact her, he returned to the closet, did a quick count of the cash—three hundred thousand dollars—snagged a bundle worth five thousand and then closed and reset the safe.
A knock came at the door. He answered to find housekeeping had arrived to stock the suite. He left them to it and headed downstairs. At the concierge desk Watkins came to attention.
“Mr. Hawke, how can I help you?”
“I have a few things I need. I’m hoping you can help me.”
“Of course.”
JD laid out his requests and received the same compliant response. Yeah, he could get used to this. When he finished, he gave Watkins a few bills to cover the costs and another for a tip.
Then he strolled across the lobby to Sullivan’s Jewels. Maybe he could find something that would help Grace accept his apology. But he’d have to be thoughtful about it. He didn’t want to upset her and end up owing her another apology.
* * *
Grace’s cell phone rang startling her from a light doze as she watched TV. “Hello.”
“Hi, Grace.” A deep male voice came down the line.
“JD?” Her heartbeat quickened. A reaction she dismissed as surprise. She didn’t think he had her number.
“Yeah. I had Watkins pick up a phone for me.”
Of course he did. “Did you need something?”
“Yes. I was wondering if you had a chance to read through the file.”
Her gaze went to the file open on the bed next to her. “I flipped through it. Doug gave you the highlights. I’ll do a search for your key personnel tonight and we can go over the information tomorrow.”
“How about tonight? Come back, join me for dinner.”
She hesitated, tempted to do just that. The very fact she wanted to explained why she couldn’t. “I think it’s best if we take this time apart.”
“So you said.” He sounded disappointed. Or was that wishful thinking? “Let me know if you change your mind.”
* * *
Grace stormed into Jackson’s suite. She powered right through the foyer into the living area. The fact he wasn’t there blasted her ire further up the scale.
“Jackson Hawke, show yourself.” The sharp demand rolled through the rooms.
“You’re back.” He appeared in the arched doorway.
“You have some nerve.” She tossed her purse on the white couch. “How dare you have me evicted from my room at the Pinnacle Express hotel?”
“Did they upset you?” A frown drew his reddish brown eyebrows together. “I expressly requested they not upset you.”
“Oh, the manager was very nice.” She paced in front of the window. “As he threw me out of my room. How can that be anything but upsetting? I was so embarrassed.”
“They were instructed that you were being upgraded to this hotel. Why would that be embarrassing?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she mocked. “Maybe because they now think we’re romantically involved and that I’m available at the click of your fingers.” Seeking calm she drew in a deep breath, let it out slow. “What’s the deal, Jackson?”
“I wanted you here. I owe you a nice steak dinner.”
“It was a gross misuse of your authority. I was coming back in the morning. There was no need to go to such drastic measures.”
He drew closer until he invaded her space. He stopped short of touching her, though his fingers twitched as if he wanted to. “Why are you calling me Jackson?”
“It’s your name.” And her way of calling to mind the differences between them. Her chin lifted. No need for him to know that.
“I didn’t want you spending your money over there when there’s plenty of room here. The place has three bedrooms. We can be apart in separate rooms.”
“It’s not the same.”
“I know. That’s the other reason I did it.” Giving her a sad smile, he gazed into her eyes and confessed, “I was lonely without you.”
Her anger deflated like a pinpricked balloon.
“You were out of line,” she declared, unwilling to let him charm her so easily.
“I won’t do it again.” His fingers feathered over her hand, before he pulled back. “Not without warning you first.”
She narrowed her eyes, reproaching him.
He shrugged. “It’s the best I can do. And seriously, I couldn’t enjoy my steak dinner without you.”
“You could have changed the reservation to tomorrow.”
“I considered it. But I wanted you here.” He held his hand out toward the doorway. “Come, let me show you the rest of the suite.”
Her eye landed on his new phone. She picked it up. “You need to be careful what you do. The hotel may let you slide on the bill, but you’re still going to need money until you can get new identification and new credit cards. I leave you alone for a few minutes—”
His finger on her lips shushed her. “How about this—you don’t treat me like a child, and I won’t treat you like
a sensual punching bag. Fair trade?”
An argument sprang to her lips. She bit them together, holding it back.
“Fair trade.”
“Good.” He smiled and, wrapping his fingers around hers, led her out of the room. “Now, let me show you what I’ve found.”
She tried to work her hand free, but it was a halfhearted attempt, and he ignored her as he moved through the suite showing her bedrooms, an office that rivaled British Command, a media room with a full-size billiard table and finally a master suite to die for.
“OMG.” The bathroom took her breath away. The walls were made of glass, thick bricks on the bottom to obscure visibility and preserve privacy, but the top part was clear, blue-tinted glass. The huge walk-in shower was made of quartz rocks and lush, overhead greenery. Multiple showerheads promised a luxurious drenching. When you took a shower, you’d feel as if you were at the top of a waterfall looking down on the world. “Dibs on the shower.”
He laughed. “I’ve already used it. It’s quite spectacular.”
She poked her head in a sauna. “Is this what you wanted to show me?”
“No. I saved the best for last.” He disappeared back into the bedroom. She slowly followed, her feet reluctant to leave the bathroom oasis.
Inside the bedroom he’d disappeared altogether. “Jackson?”
“In here.” His head popped out of a closet.
She joined him, stopping on the threshold to blink and take it in. Okay, maybe owning a house was overrated. Maybe she didn’t need to own the ground under her feet to consider the space she occupied as home. Because, seriously, she could live in this room.
“Wow. Just wow.” Forget sleek and slick in here. Warm wood and creamy marble welcomed her inside. Suits lined one side split by a three-way mirror, while shoes filled the opposite side and down the center ran a marble-topped island with a sink at one end and drawers on all sides. Three chandeliers lit the room and a chaise lounge provided a spot to sit. “I think I’m in love.”
“And I think that’s the most girlish thing I’ve heard you say.”
“I’m a girl,” she defended her reaction.
“Mostly you’re a cop.”
“Seriously? You’re going to go there after the whole kissing incident?”
His Unforgettable Fiancée Page 9
