“It reads better the right side up,” her tormentor wryly told her.
Sure enough, just like her world had been lately, the newspaper was upside down. Jaymee obstinately kept the paper that way, glaring fiercely at the reverse picture of a banana. After a few minutes, Mindy came back with soup. She surveyed the scene and arched a penciled brow at Nick, who calmly began on his soup. After putting down the other bowl, she snatched Jaymee’s paper from her fingers.
“What now?” Jaymee growled at her unrepentant friend. She was used to Mindy’s brand of brash friendship, but today she seemed to be even more intent on getting her cornered.
“Next Saturday,” Mindy said, hand on hip.
“I haven’t forgotten,” Jaymee informed her, “but after today, you can expect cellophane tape for your present.”
“Cellophane tape?” Mindy repeated, puzzled.
“Yeah, rolls and rolls of it. Enough to tape your mouth shut until your next birthday,” said Jaymee, and stuck her tongue out.
Her friend laughed, a loud husky chuckle. She looked at the quietly eating Nick. “This is what I get from my best friend for inviting her to my birthday bash.” A wicked light entered her blue eyes, and she turned to Jaymee, darting a glance at Nick, and added, “On the other hand, cellophane tape could contribute to a nice, sticky situation.”
Jaymee rolled her eyes, then mockingly lifted her hands heavenward. Nick laughed at the two of them, enjoying the sight of her at a loss for words. She was smiling fondly at the waitress, even while appearing exasperated with her.
“Happy birthday on Saturday,” he said, trying to play peacemaker.
Mindy slapped a palm on her forehead as if it just occurred to her. “You’re invited, big guy. My special guest. Let Jaymee bring you along.”
Jaymee almost groaned aloud. The last thing she wanted was to go with Nick to a party as a couple. She wouldn’t look at him, picking at imaginary lint on her pants instead.
“Love to,” Nick said, looking across the table.
“Excellent!” exclaimed Mindy. “Jaymee?”
“What now?” she muttered, picking up a fork.
“Bring more cellophane tape.” The sassy waitress didn’t wait for a reply as she tucked the empty tray under one arm and trotted off.
“She’s something else,” Nick commented, still amused.
“A regular stand-up comedienne,” agreed Jaymee, still unable to believe her supposedly best friend had steamrollered her.
“If you don’t want me to go, I won’t,” Nick softly told her.
“If I dare show up without you on her birthday, I might not live to see mine,” she informed him, shuddering at all the possible paybacks of which Mindy was capable. From experience, her friend was more than original in the art of revenge.
Nick grinned. “In that case, then it’s my duty to take care of my boss. I promise to behave at this…bash, as she called it.”
“No one behaves at Mindy’s birthday bashes,” Jaymee warned. “You’re expected to eat her barbecue, drink her beer, dance with the birthday girl, and there’s even karaoke, if you’re drunk enough.” She sighed, gave in, and smiled. “You’ll enjoy it. Mindy is a great person.”
Buttering his roll, Nick casually said, “Since I won’t be able to transfer your files on Saturday, let’s do it tonight then. I’ve a few free hours after work.”
“If you want to. I don’t want you to feel you have to.”
“No problem. Why let you muddle through when I can do it for you painlessly?”
“Thanks, Nick.” She was relieved he offered to do it. She really wasn’t looking forward to reading Windows for Dummies. “You’ve been a great help.”
Nick ignored the twinge of guilt and smiled back winningly. “You’ve been more help to me than you realize, too.” He gave her the buttered roll.
As someone who had been in tighter spots, Nick had learned not to question providence when opportunity arose. He told himself he wasn’t taking advantage of Jaymee, knowing his feelings for her were complicating the very simple issue of survival. What he was doing had to be done. It was that simple. In return, he helped her out with her computer problems.
Fair enough. So why the unexpected guilt? Because he wanted to be honest with this woman, that’s why. When he’d kissed her last Saturday, his savage need had shocked him enough to make him step back to evaluate the whole situation. He accepted the desire for Jaymee, that the attraction he felt was more than any feeling he’d ever experienced for another woman. He could even deal with the strange possessiveness he had for her. Something about her pulled new emotions from inside him. Maybe it was her innocence. Or, her tightly-reined control. Whatever it was, he realized her response to him was instinctive, despite of her fears, and that in turn transformed him to some chest-beating primitive. He laughed under his breath at the notion. The woman was driving him crazy, that was what was the matter.
That kiss, he admitted now, made him realize for the first time since he joined his covert agency, he wanted to step out of the shadows and share his own true self with somebody. He wanted Jaymee Barrows to know who he was and to accept him for what he was. He also realized, knowing her abhorrence of deception in his sex, that the longer he deceived her, the more hurt she would be.
Hopefully, some communications would be waiting for him when he checked tonight. The quicker he ended this situation regarding his mission, the better. Then, he glanced at Jaymee, who was obviously enjoying her turkey special now that Mindy had quit baiting her, then, he could fully concentrate on more pressing matters.
Big Bad Wolf: Chapter Five
When Nick showed up at her house later that evening, Jaymee was again not at home, even though the blue truck was parked in the driveway. He sat on the railing of the back porch and watched the sun disappear behind the tall pines across the lake. Where did she go that didn’t need her vehicle? Was she with Mindy? He knew now it wasn’t the missing Danny, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t seeing another man. His frown deepened as he realized he’d taken for granted she was unattached; she’d never said she didn’t have a special someone. After all, it was inconceivable to expect her, or anyone, to be without a partner for eight years.
She appeared suddenly, panting hard, as if she’d been running at full speed. She bent over, hands on knees, breathing hard.
“Sorry,” she apologized. “I forgot the time. Got back as fast as I could.”
“It’s OK,” Nick said.
He wanted to ask her where she’d been, but that would only make her wary of him all over again. Right now, mentally, she was where he wanted her to be. She was opening doors that were locked before, and he wanted her to open them herself, for herself. Even if his own personal program was in jeopardy of crashing every time she was within his sexual radar. Even if he had a perpetual discomfort in his pants at night when he thought about her. He smiled, amused at his own thoughts.
Jaymee looked up. His smile made her feel even giddier as she tried to catch her breath. God, he looked good enough to eat. She took in the white cotton shirt and khaki pants, which set off his tan to perfection. The top few buttons were left undone, revealing curling hair. She wanted to bury her nose in that chest and breathe in the warm musky masculine scent that seemed to make her think indecent thoughts. With sudden dismay, she realized she still hadn’t changed from her day at work. Who would get turned on at the sight of her in tarred-up work clothes, still sweaty from the day, so totally unappealing?
Unlocking the back door, she flipped on the light switch, knowing her father would still be at one of his friends’. She sighed at the pile of dishes in the sink and bent down to pick up scattered newspapers by the kitchen table.
“Sorry, the place is a mess. I should’ve come home earlier to straighten up.”
“Stop apologizing.” Nick saw the shadows under her eyes, noticed the quick roll of her shoulders in an attempt to relax. He didn’t like her overworking like this. “Look, I can do this without you i
n the study. If you trust me not to steal your silverware, why don’t you go and take a shower or a bath? It’ll take me an hour or so to transfer your files and play around with your programs, and that’ll give you time for a good soak.”
“You don’t mind?” A hot soak sounded so good. “I mean, you won’t think I’m rude not to...”
“Go,” he ordered, giving her a slight push. “If I need you, I’ll find you.”
Jaymee didn’t need more persuasion. A hot soak. As in bubble bath. Heaven. She didn’t even look back as she went off.
Nick wistfully looked after her as she went off. That little ass out of her tight lycra pants. The sudden image of Jaymee in a bathtub wasn’t going to make the next hour comfortable at all. Ruefully, he looked down at his predicament.
“Down, boyo,” he softly muttered, “or I’m going to have to reprogram you.”
He decided to get his business done first before transferring Jaymee’s files from the old computer to the new. That way, if she joined him after her bath, he’d be finished. Within minutes of connecting, he was in, and he navigated through the high-tech daily changes in the protective links that his agency used to confound the usual breed of hackers. Scanning through, he found what he needed; the right person had recognized his communication.
He printed out the jumbled, coded puzzle, deciphering the message, which read: SITUATION RED. ASSESS. F2F. COORDINATES. He had already expected the warning of danger, but the caution to remain dead, as well as to evaluate the situation was a double warning to be careful. Interesting. He considered for a moment, then relayed another coded encryption. If he had to look out for a “face-to-face,” that meant serious trouble. Trust no one.
A triple warning, he amended. Hesitating, he tried to decide whether to reveal he didn’t escape the boat without first taking care of business, that he had the assignment in his possession. He’d been in the process of decoding its secrets when he’d sensed something was wrong. Since his escape, he hadn’t had a chance to continue his work without a computer. He had never turned over an unfinished assignment. He signed off without adding anything further to the message.
All he could do now was wait.
***
Ahhhhhh.
This was definitely what she needed. Jaymee sank deeper into the steaming water, blowing bubbles that landed on her nose. She had washed her hair while waiting for the tub to fill up. It felt so good to be clean and soft. She needed to do this more often.
She promised herself she’d take a few hours off a week for rest, for personal well-being. Besides, Mindy’s party was coming up and she needed to spend a few hours to make herself human again, so she could face all the friends attending the bash. She smiled, wondering whether she’d remember how to enjoy herself at a party. She hadn’t gone out in a long time, what with her having to stay out later ever since she had to work shorthanded, and on top of that, spending all available time as well as weekends trying to get everything accomplished within her crazy self-imposed schedule. However, even she had to admit she couldn’t burn the candle at both ends indefinitely. Her yawn was huge. Even Superwoman needed to recharge her batteries sometime. The hypnotic effect of gently lapping water had her half-dreaming as the bubbles popped quietly.
She didn’t know how long she floated in the hot water, but the sudden jolt of pain up her left leg shocked her to wakefulness. She gasped loudly and the violent jerk of her body created a wave that splashed onto her face and into her mouth, causing a fit of coughing as she choked out a scream when she tried to move.
The pain was horrendous. Hot tears spurted out as she struggled to stand up, but her left leg was totally useless, knotting tighter and tighter until she had to kneel on her right knee for balance. She leaned out of the tub, her wet hair dripping water all over the tile floor as pain repeatedly pounded up her injured leg. She tried to stand again. And gasped out a few choice words. Someone was pounding at the door. It became more insistent as she held onto the tub’s rim.
“Jaymee?” Nick called from the other side of the bathroom door. “I heard you scream. Are you all right?”
Using her elbows, she somehow managed to lift herself up high enough to sit on the side of the tub. “Yes,” she choked out, then gasped in agony as the cramp worsened.
The door flew open without warning and Nick’s large frame was suddenly in front of her. Squatting down, he held her by the shoulders.
“What’s wrong?” he asked brusquely.
Through the haze of pain, she stared at Nick’s face, then realized she was sitting there naked.
“Get out!”
She tried to squirm out of his hold, desperately reaching for the towel hanging nearby. However, the floor was too slippery and she lost her balance. She cried out when she tried put weight on her leg.
Silently, Nick easily gathered her up, one arm under her knees, the other around her shoulders, and carried her out of the bathroom into her bedroom. Jaymee couldn’t even protest as she held onto the knotted muscle with both hands. He lay her down on her bed.
“Don’t move,” he tersely ordered, and disappeared back into the bathroom. He returned with a towel and swore softly at the sight of her trying to pull the tucked bed sheets loose to cover herself.
“You’re just going to hurt yourself doing that,” he told her, then sat down right beside her naked body.
“Don’t!” Jaymee weakly tried to fight off the big fluffy towel rubbing her body. She didn’t actually object to the towel. It was the pair of hands rubbing her dry that was cause for alarm. She couldn’t believe she was actually lying on her bed with his hands on her. She’d fantasized about that, without the agony of a cramp. It was too frighteningly like her fantasies, and she struggled more earnestly, understanding with sudden clarity her own danger.
Nick sighed and took the only option left to get her to stop. He stretched his long length on top of her, using his weight to quiet her struggles. Her body felt temptingly soft.
“Be still,” he told her softly.
As if she had a choice. Her thigh still throbbing, Jaymee glared up at him, torn between embarrassment and pain. “Get off me, Nick,” she said. She might be in pain, but she hadn’t lost her sense of self-preservation yet.
“Which leg cramped up?” he asked, ignoring her demand. “You were squirming so much I couldn’t see for sure.”
“I’m feeling better now,” she lied, then gasped aloud when he calmly tested one thigh by putting pressure on it with his knee. It was a lucky guess. “You bastard!”
“You won’t tell me.”
“I didn’t want to!” she yelled.
“Too bad.” He got up on one hand, pulling the scrunched up towel across her body. “There, almost decent. Let me see you move your leg.”
Did he know what he looked like from her position? Jaymee stared at him as she lay on her bed, naked except for a wet towel on top of her body. He was half-on and half-off her, the front of his shirt and pants wet. A very warm hand lay on her injured thigh. A long moment passed.
“Don’t look at me like that, darling,” he drawled. “Move your leg, Jaymee.”
She tried, and bit down on her lip at the immediate spasm that followed. He nodded, his hand pressing down on the knot.
“A pulled muscle. I’ll take care of it.”
Looking around, he saw the bottle of body lotion on her bedside table, and leaned across her to get it. Mesmerized, Jaymee watched him pour an indecent amount into those beautiful hands. She swallowed hard as those hands rubbed together.
“You aren’t going to do it,” she announced, panicking.
“It isn’t going to hurt, babe,” Nick told her, and two slick hands were kneading down on her thigh, his thumbs pressing and massaging the sore spot.
She cried out something incoherent. Did he say it wouldn’t hurt? So why did her body feel like one giant cramp?
“Relax, or I’ll have to massage your whole body.”
He was teasing her, but the thought of
those hands doing similar things to the rest of her made her insides flip somersaults. She eyed him with the keen knowledge of a cornered prey. He had her trapped and the glint in his eye told her he was very aware of it. Her mind worked feverishly, trying to see a way out. Even if her leg had allowed it, she couldn’t jump up and run off with just a towel clutched to her front. She couldn’t see herself screaming in maidenly despair; she wouldn’t know how. She could just quietly lie there, like an animal playing dead, pretending his fingers weren’t sliding up and down her thigh. She could, if her blood wasn’t boiling over from the suggestive up and down motion. His laughter brought her attention back to him.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“You. You’re so transparent, Jaymee darling. Right now you’re busy trying to find a safe subject to talk about, as you always do when you panic.”
Was she so easy to read? Annoyance replaced embarrassment as she pulled the towel a little higher, then realized only gave him more view of her thighs. Keep talking, she thought. “What’s wrong with that?”
“OK, let’s do it your way. We won’t talk about my hands on your thigh. Let’s talk about your breasts.”
Jaymee squeezed her eyes tightly shut, refusing to look any longer into those laughing wolf eyes. That made things worse, since now his roving fingers were all she could feel.
Without her sight, she caught the change in the tone of his voice. “You have beautiful large nipples. Rosy pink, like seashells. I want to....” Jaymee started to tremble and covered her ears with her hands, trying to keep the sex voice out. She didn’t want to see. She didn’t want to hear. He wasn’t going to get to her. His muffled voice came through her cupped hands. “All right, we’ll change the subject.”
His hands paused and lifted from her body. Jaymee sighed with relief. Maybe he was done. Maybe...she shrieked as a hot, wet tongue traveled up where the hand was a moment ago. Her eyes flew open, her hands dropped from her ears, and she scooted high up her bed to escape. The hot, wet tongue followed, and the world suddenly exploded into shadows and sound. She kicked at him with her good leg, giving him the opening he wanted, and she found herself under siege as a slow invasion began.
Holding Out For A Hero: SEALs, Soldiers, Spies, Cops, FBI Agents and Rangers Page 24
