Tempting Target

by Savannah Stuart

  No surprise there. Everything was always such a pissing match. “How does that tie in with Jade?”

  “I’m getting there. Most of his contacts were criminals and gang members, and he was under surveillance by the DEA and Homeland Security for dealing with a suspected group of terrorists.”

  “That’s some shoddy fucking surveillance.” David struggled to rein in his anger. If they’d been doing their jobs properly Jade wouldn’t have been such an easy target.

  “Don’t get me started. I didn’t get much out of Homeland Security, but I have a few friends with the DEA in Miami so I put out some feelers and mentioned the name Keith Celan. As soon as I did that, I was routed right through to the director. We’re not exactly friends, but I’m on a semi first-name basis with Alan Costa.”

  David nodded even though Colin couldn’t see him. “I’ve heard the name before. How do you know him?”

  “Before I moved here I worked undercover in Miami. Sometimes we teamed up with the DEA. I’ve only spoken to him in passing, but for what it’s worth, I trust him. Costa said Celan has been under suspicion of treason for the past year, but until recently they couldn’t pin anything on him. Two days ago he went missing, which means one of two things. Either he’s dead, which I doubt, or he knows they’re on to him and has gone underground. I’m betting on the latter.”

  “Me too,” David muttered. Celan had probably been the one to order the attack on Jade. The man had to be desperate, which would explain the attempt to kidnap Jade in broad daylight. “How does this connect to Jade and the ring?”

  “I’m still not sure about the ring, but it sounds like the woman Jade spoke to is a missing agent. Costa wouldn’t tell me much, but she went missing a little over a month ago along with a huge batch of drugs and VX gas. My guess is Celan wants to find the woman and the drugs, cash out and retire somewhere warm. Did Jade tell you where the ring is?”

  David laughed without mirth. “It was in her purse.”

  “You kidding me?”

  “She threw it in there yesterday, but after she was almost run down she forgot about it. It’s currently in my safe.” Not just any safe. He had a custom made, high-tech digital lock safe that was a scaled-down version of those used in jewelry stores. Not impenetrable but not easy for a smash and grab either.

  “Good, keep it there for now. I still don’t know what it has to do with anything and neither does Costa, but he wants it. I’m sending someone over to pick it up tonight…shit, hold on.”

  David could hear muffled voices, then Colin yell “Shit!” again.

  A second later Colin came back on the line. “I’ve got to go. Jade’s house has just been broken into. I’ll call you when I find out more.”

  “What—?”

  The line disconnected.

  David set the phone down on the granite kitchen counter. Before making any decisions about what to tell Jade, he popped the top to his Heineken and took a swig. He rarely drank, but the past few days’ events warranted it. On top of trying to keep Jade safe, he was still trying to come to terms that she returned his feelings, physically at least.

  And after last night… His cock twitched as he thought about it. Seeing the honey-caramel curtain of her hair draping over him as she sucked him. That had erased all his previous fantasies. Now his visions would be replaced with the reality.

  * * * * *

  Jade shoved the heavy, quilted comforter off her body and rolled out of the bed. She ran a hand through her rumpled hair and glanced over at the digital clock on the small dresser. She groaned. Eight o’clock. How could she have slept so long and still be tired? It was as if she’d been run over with a truck. She gazed at the bed longingly but thought better of it. David had already let her know that she wasn’t going to be staying at home until this whole mess cleared up. Since she had no other clothing with her she needed to call her sister and pick up a few things.

  Delicious smells wafted from the kitchen. She paused in the doorway as her breath caught. With his back to her, David stood at the stove, humming a familiar Jimmy Buffet song as he sautéed whatever it was that was making her mouth water. The food wasn’t the only thing making her mouth water. David wore cut-off khakis that showed off his tanned, muscular legs, a form-fitting T-shirt that did nothing to conceal his broad frame and a pair of beat-up Reefs. She wanted to run her hands up his back and savor the feel of all that strength.

  She’d always been a sucker for the surfer types. Not only was he sweet and good-looking, but he cooked too. It was hard for her to believe she’d been so blind and that some other woman hadn’t scooped him up in the past few years. Her throat constricted at the thought. What if…

  “What do you want to drink?” David asked without turning around.

  Startled out of her trance, she stepped onto the cool tile floor and went directly for the refrigerator. “I’ll just grab a bottle of water and some Tylenol. How did you even know I was here?”

  He half turned and pointed upward. “The stairs creak. Not to mention your scent.”

  Her eyes widened and her expression must have been one of horror because he just laughed. “I didn’t you say you smelled, I said your scent. It’s something tropical, and it’s been driving me crazy for years.”

  “Oh… Good crazy?”

  “Very good,” he murmured as he turned back to the stove.

  Ignoring the butterflies in her stomach, she moved closer and peered over his shoulder, mainly so she could feel his body against hers. Her nipples hardened as she brushed against him and she had to bite back a sigh of pleasure. “What are you cooking?”

  “Nothing fancy, just chicken teriyaki stir-fry. Do you think you’ll be able to eat anything?”

  As if on cue, her stomach growled. “I think so. Do you need help with anything?”

  “You can set out a couple plates and silverware, but other than that I don’t want you doing anything. Also, I don’t know another way to tell you this but someone broke into your house.”

  All earlier hunger pains evaporated. “What? When?”

  He moved the simmering wok onto one of the back burners and twisted the knob off before turning to look at her. His expression softened. “Colin called me a few hours ago. I still don’t know any of the details or I’d give them to you. I’m just waiting on the phone to ring.”

  She didn’t say anything. Instead, she took a seat at the whitewashed antique kitchen table and traced her fingers along the distressed surface as she watched him plate their food. Chewing on her bottom lip, she tried to rein in the overwhelming emotions battering against her skull. She’d been almost killed twice in the same week, and now someone had broken into her house. Her house. Touched her stuff. Maybe she should have stayed in bed.

  “Jade?” David’s voice broke into her thoughts.

  “What?” Her eyes focused on his concerned face, and she realized he must have said her name more than once.

  “I asked if you were all right.”

  She nodded and pushed a piece of chicken across her plate. “I’m fine, but I think I lost my appetite.”

  “I understand, but you need to get something in you,” he said quietly as he scooped large servings of the stir-fry onto each of their plates.

  Something or someone? For some reason his words sounded subtly sensuous. She doubted he meant anything by it, but she couldn’t stop the rush of heat that warmed her cheeks. He took a seat directly across from her, and she saw realization and a trace of amusement in his eyes. She hated that she was so transparent.

  “I’ve always heard bad things come in threes,” she said as she speared two small pieces of chicken and a broccoli floret.

  His lips curled into a half-smile. “I guess that means you’re out of the woods then.”

  “Maybe. What if both attempts on my life count as only one bad thing? That means there’s one more bad thing just waiting to happen. The way things have been going, I wouldn’t be surprised if a plane fell out of the sky and landed on your house
. It’s probably not safe for you to be in a hundred-mile radius of me.” The thought of something happening to him because of her made her sick.

  “You’re worth it.” He put his fork down. His voice was low and heated.

  She averted her gaze to her plate and shoved another bite in her mouth. She couldn’t deal with someone trying to kill her and David looking at her like he wanted to take her right on the kitchen table. That was just too much.

  “Jade, I—”

  A shrill blast from the portable phone caused Jade to jump.

  “That might be Colin.” Anticipation and terror forked through her body in equal measures as David answered the phone.

  He gave her a slight nod so she knew it was her brother-in-law on the other end. For the next twenty minutes, she listened to half of a conversation while staring at the minute hand of the oversized, mahogany wall clock.

  “Thanks for calling, Colin, I’ll fill Jade in on everything,” David finally said.

  Jade pushed her chair back and stood up. “Well?”

  He gave her a wry smile. “You can sit back down, this will take a few minutes.”

  “I’d rather stand, thank you.” She crossed her arms over her chest, daring him to challenge her.

  He opened his mouth to protest, then shook his head. “Fine. Have it your way. One of the patrol cops caught a man breaking in to your house, and he had no problem talking.”

  “Seriously?” Jade watched criminal shows occasionally and never understood when suspects caved so easily. It just didn’t seem feasible in the real world.

  “But only because he wants amnesty. His wife just had a baby, and apparently, having a daughter has changed him. His only demand is that he and his family are put into protective custody.”

  Jade frowned. “In return for what?”

  “Information. Lots of information. He admits that he’s in the same gang as the man who tried to kill you. For years they were pretty low level, basically nothing more than street thugs. Then they infiltrated Miami, Orlando and Tampa. Just recently they started using St. Augustine as an entry point to run drugs, mainly cocaine.”

  “That’s insane.” She’d grown up there and hadn’t known anyone who’d actually used hard drugs until going away to college. Even then, marijuana was usually the drug of choice.

  David nodded, his expression grim. “My sentiments exactly. According to your brother-in-law they’ve been under surveillance by the DEA and Homeland Security for quite some time, so I wouldn’t worry too much about them making St. Augustine a permanent home.”

  “That doesn’t explain why he broke into my house.”

  “He was under orders to search for the ring. One man was sent to kidnap you and extract the location of the ring and another was sent to ransack your house in case you lied.”

  “What about the man who came into my store claiming to be a DEA agent?” she asked.

  “He is, or was, a DEA agent. He fell off the radar two days ago.”

  “Fell off what?”

  “He’s gone missing, although he’s been under surveillance for the past year on suspicion of treason. They haven’t been able to nail him with anything solid until now. Just by disappearing, he looks guilty, but now they have a witness with documented meeting dates and times. He’s been working hand in hand with their gang and with a group of Syrian terrorists located somewhere in Georgia. And he’s who ordered your kidnapping, but something tells me he had orders from someone else.”

  “Wait, back up. Syrians?” Jade interrupted, not sure if she’d heard correctly.

  His mouth pulled into a thin line. “Not only is Celan greedy, but his moral compass is seriously fu…screwed up. He’s been smuggling cocaine and was trying to import VX gas to a group of Syrians. He’s got to know that shit is going to be used on Americans.”

  Jade swallowed hard as she tried to wrap her mind around everything David told her, but it was as if invisible steel bands had wrapped around her chest. VX gas? Syrians? Drugs in St. Augustine? What was going on with the world? “I thought that woman was on the run from an abusive ex-husband. Never in a million years could I have guessed this.”

  “I know, honey,” he said softly, although he didn’t move from his seat at the kitchen table.

  For that, she was thankful. She needed space to think, and he must have understood. Sometimes she thought he knew her better than herself. “So, what does any of this have to do with the ring?”

  “The DEA is still trying to figure that out. The woman who gave it to you is with the DEA, but no one knows where she is, or if she’s even alive. Since you were the last person to see her, and she gave it to you, they think it might be of some importance. While you were sleeping, I put it in my safe. Colin will send someone over to pick it up, probably tonight or early tomorrow morning.”

  “So what do we do now?” She twisted her hands in front of her.

  “For now, you’re under my protection. At least until this mess is straightened out.”

  “What about work or clothing? I don’t have anything to wear.”

  “Colin has already talked to Maya, and someone will escort her to your place to pick up clothes and whatever else you might need. And work is out of the question. You’re not going out in public until this guy is caught. Maya should actually be here soon so at least you’ll be able to change.”

  Jade glanced at the wall clock, even though she already knew it was close to nine since all she’d done was stare at it for the past half hour. “You’re not going to be charged with shooting the man at my store are you?”

  David shook his head. “No, it was an obvious case of self-defense.”

  “I don’t know if I ever thanked you for saving my life, David.”

  He shrugged, but fresh worry lines creased his face.

  She took a step closer to where he sat and placed a light hand on his shoulder. “Don’t act like it was no big deal. What you did was amazing and I should have thanked you before. If you hadn’t been there…”

  She didn’t know how to go on. She hadn’t seen much violence in her life, but she knew what would have happened if David hadn’t been there. It was unthinkable. A sudden shiver racked her body, but it had nothing to do with being cold.

  David pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arm around her waist. “But I was there, so don’t think about what could have happened. No one is going to hurt you now, or ever again. I promise.”

  “I know.” And she did. It was weird to think about, but David had always been her protector in so many ways, right from the beginning. After the death of her husband, he’d protected her from her well-meaning, but overbearing family, and from that moment, a bond had been forged. She might have been blind to his attraction, but he’d always been there, even as a friend. He’d wanted more, but he’d stood by and waited until she was ready. That knowledge alone warmed her heart in ways that almost left her speechless.

  “David, I—”

  The doorbell chimed and they both sighed.

  Jade tried to push up, but David groaned and pulled her tighter against him. “Ignore it,” he murmured into her ear.

  She lightly pushed against his chest and chuckled at his resistance. “Come on, that’s probably Maya.”

  He sighed heavily but didn’t let her go. “Not so fast.”

  Before she knew what he planned, he brushed his lips against hers, softly at first, then more demanding. Deeper, hotter, than before, almost a sign of what was to come. A moan escaped her lips as his hands plunged into her hair, cradling her head. His teeth tugged her bottom lip and she let out a small gasp. This could get out of hand too quickly. She didn’t want to but she pulled back, though she didn’t say anything. She couldn’t. She could barely breathe, let alone talk.

  Chapter Fourteen

  David grabbed the duffel bag and small rolling piece of luggage Maya had dropped in the foyer. He waited until Jade and her sister were out of sight before following up the stairs. Being too close to her was going to
kill him. He knew she wanted him, that much was obvious. Every time she looked at him, desire and curiosity flared in her emerald eyes. And surprise usually followed in equal measures. Why was she surprised by her attraction? He still didn’t know what to make of that. She wanted him physically, but was that all?

  His hands shook as he placed her bags in the guest room. This was the second time in his adult life his hands had ever wavered. Earlier that morning was the first. David’s gut roiled as the image of that knife pressed against Jade’s neck played in his head. He never should have let her out of his sight. She’d needed her space and to feel in control of things so he’d tried to give her that. The irony that he was in the business of protecting people wasn’t lost on him.

  Before he left the guest room he surveyed it with disgust. She deserved better than this. The queen-size bed, a crappy lamp and a cheap cherry nightstand were the only pieces of furniture in the sparse room. He’d never expected her to stay over, except in his fantasies. And in those, she’d been in his bedroom anyway.

  From his room, he heard the front door shut, then not long after that the guest room door shut. When he heard the sound of running water coming from the guest bathroom he reset his alarm system and secured the rest of the house. After a short shower, he fell into bed. He wanted to talk to Jade—he wanted to do more than talk—but she needed to come to him. For this to go any further, she had to make the first move.

  * * * * *

  Jade let the scorching water rush over her body, unwilling to move from underneath the jets that pummeled her aching muscles. Her hair was washed, legs and other important areas shaved, and yet she didn’t want to move. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and block out the world. Well, that and jump into David’s bed.

  Oh, how she wanted to do that. Especially after the most recent kiss they’d shared. What was stopping her? Her stupid inner voice, that’s what. The stupid voice that screamed this could be a mistake. They’d done a lot of things but having sex would be crossing an invisible line. If things didn’t work out between them she’d lose the best friend she’d ever had. Something she’d been taking for granted until recently.