by Katie Reus
He couldn’t help himself. He had a billion questions—like where the hell had she been for so long—but he was overcome with the need to taste her. To dominate and possess her. It had always been like that between them, but he’d convinced himself that the electricity wasn’t real. That he’d built it up in his mind. People just didn’t react that way to each other after so long but here she was standing in front of him and all he wanted to do was jump her. To take her hard and fast against the car, right out in the open for anyone to see.
Normally he was in absolute control of himself but before he’d realized he even intended to move, his lips were on hers and he was crushing her against the car.
Jordan moved against him like liquid sin, her body melting into his as if they were made for each other. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and one of her legs came up around him, her sandaled foot digging into his ass as she grinded against him.
He felt fevered with her so close, as if seven years hadn’t passed. His hands skimmed down her sides until he reached around her body and grabbed her ass. He just barely restrained himself from gripping her too hard as he clutched her. The thin material of her dress told him she either had nothing on underneath or a thong he couldn’t feel from this angle. Either option was hot as hell.
When she moaned into his mouth, his hips rolled against hers, his cock pulsing and pushing against the zipper of his pants. He wanted in her so bad he was consumed with the need.
“Mr. Hansen!”
Vincent jerked back at the sound of his name being called. Blinking, he stared down at Jordan for a moment as it slowly registered where he was and what he’d just done. What was wrong with him? He’d just acted like an animal. She looked dazed as she seemed to mentally shake herself. Her leg fell from around him and he turned in the direction of the familiar voice.
Vincent cleared his throat, actually embarrassed as he faced Mr. Baird, a seventy year old man who lived five houses down from him. His expression was sour, as always, as he stood on the sidewalk with his leashed dog that couldn’t weigh more than eight pounds. “Sorry, Mr. Baird.”
The man’s lips just pursed as he shook his head and continued shuffling down the sidewalk, muttering under his breath about disgusting young people and their lack of common decency.
Vincent turned back to Jordan and forced himself under control. He couldn’t just jump her like this—even if she was willing—before getting answers. For all he knew she was engaged or…married. The thought made his gut roil even though he had no claim on her. Not anymore. Maybe he never really had. “Keys,” he said more forcefully than he’d intended.
Her swollen lips parted slightly as she looked at him in confusion. Yeah, she was still feeling the effects of that kiss too. “What?”
“Where are you car keys?”
“Still in the ignition.”
“Good.” He gently moved her out of the way and slid into the front seat. “My house, now. I’ll park this in my driveway.”
Obviously she knew which house was his because she was here. There was no way in hell it was a coincidence that she’d driven past his house three times and was sitting in his neighborhood. Without giving her a chance to respond, he shut the door. He had no clue what was going on, but he wasn’t letting her behind the wheel. It was primitive and probably insane, but he didn’t want to give her the chance to leave. Not until he found out where the hell she’d been and why she’d left him.
He’d spent so much damn time looking for her it was embarrassing. To have her show up at his place after so long rattled him more than he wanted to admit. She’d always done that to him though. Had from the moment he’d spotted her on that sidewalk back in San Diego.
After parking her car in his driveway he found her waiting on his front porch, her arms wrapped around her slim body as she watched him warily. He didn’t like that look. Of course, he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like whatever she had to tell him now. Someone didn’t show up after seven years like this with good news.
Wordlessly he opened the door and motioned for her to walk inside. A single light above them illuminated the tanned glow of her bronzed skin. Even though she was clearly nervous she looked amazing. A little slimmer than he remembered but she still had great curves. He couldn’t get the feel of her lush breasts pressing against his chest out of his head. All he wanted to do was strip off that dress and feast on her body.
But first… “I guess I should be fucking civilized and offer you something to drink but I want answers. Where have you been? Why’d you leave without a word?” He cursed himself that his voice shook, but it couldn’t be helped. He’d loved her and she’d ripped his heart out.
She clasped her hands in front of her stomach and looked down at them. “Could we maybe sit?”
He wanted to say no, but he couldn’t deny her anything. Not when she looked as if she was ready to burst into tears. Concern thrummed through him, but she was here and unharmed. It was clear she’d left him of her own free will all those years ago. He’d seen her empty apartment and talked to her former landlord. Jordan had paid to break her contract and get out of her lease early and had hired movers to take care of all her things. It wasn’t as if she’d been kidnapped. No, she’d left of her own damn free will.
Grunting, he flipped on lights as he strode down the hallway to his kitchen and leaned against one of the counters. The room was pristine since he rarely cooked and he hadn’t been home for almost a week anyway. He motioned to the chairs tucked under the island.
Jordan pulled out a ladder back chair one of his sisters had made for him and perched on it. She nervously tapped her fingers against the granite topped island as she glanced around the kitchen. It was obvious she was curious about his place, but he wanted his damn answers.
“Talk, Jordan.” He felt like he was about to explode.
Her gaze snapped back to his and he saw a myriad of regret and sadness. “I don’t even know where to start so…God, this is so much harder than I thought it would be.”
Hard? Like what he had gone through after she’d disappeared from his life without a word hadn’t been fucking hard?
She shook her head, as if clearing her mind. “Do you remember Curtis Woods?”
The name sounded vaguely familiar but he shook his head, struggling for patience.
“Seven years ago he was the man responsible for all those fires in San Diego.” Her voice was shaky, unsteady as she spoke and it rattled a memory loose.
“Yeah, I remember. All those women went missing after each fire.” It had happened right around the time Vincent had gotten out of the Navy and had taken a job with Red Stone Security. But he hadn’t moved to Miami yet because he’d been waiting for Jordan to graduate so he could propose. He’d wanted her to come with him and he’d been so sure she would.
Just proved what a fucking idiot he’d been.
“He burned down the clothing boutique next to that little bookstore I worked at. I didn’t see him set the actual fire, but I caught him dragging the owner out after he’d set it. He’d drugged her and had planned to kill her—among other things—but he accidentally overdosed her in his hurry to escape the blaze. He didn’t admit it until later, but the fire started too soon. I guess he got cocky and messed things up. Anyway, I saw the blaze and called the cops but when I saw him I couldn’t just do nothing and let him escape. I… I used that Taser you gave me and disabled him. By the time the cops showed up it was a complete nightmare. The cops, the Feds and the Attorney General’s office—everyone wanted to talk to me.”
As she spoke, his gut clenched. He had a feeling he knew where she was headed but he remained silent, letting her speak. She was talking so fast he could tell she was just trying to get the words out and he wanted to hear everything.
“He pled not guilty even though he clearly was. As the only witness, they wanted to put me into WITSEC until the trial. At first I said no but he had a twin brother he was close with who they suspected was his accomplice. Eventua
lly Woods admitted his brother helped him and he told the authorities where most of the bodies of those women were. He gave them twenty-one graves but held back one. Sick bastard,” she muttered. “But before he confessed to everything, his attorneys dragged everything out for years. He was eventually convicted and a few months ago his brother was found dead behind a bar in Abilene, Texas. A week after that Woods killed himself in prison. So…I’m free again. I took my real name back and left the program. Vincent, I…I’m so sorry for leaving. I’ve missed you every single day. I…” She stopped talking, as if she’d run out of steam and watched him with a touch of fear in her eyes.
That just pissed him off. She should never be afraid of him, but he was so fucking angry he could barely see straight. “I remember when they caught that guy.” He vaguely remembered the details of the news coverage because he’d been so busy getting his life squared away to move. “I also remember that you didn’t fucking disappear for days after he was arrested. You know why I remember? Because we fucked so much I could barely walk.” It had been such an intense time in their relationship, like she’d been branding him as her own. Now he realized it was because she’d planned to leave. “I loved you, Jordan.” She was the only woman he’d ever loved, something she’d known. He’d stumbled over telling her that first time, had felt like an idiot, but once he’d told her, it had been freeing.
“You could have asked me to join WITSEC with you.” God, he would have too. In a heartbeat. But he didn’t say that because she clearly hadn’t cared enough about him to ask. She hadn’t felt the same way he had.
Jordan let out a harsh, scraping laugh that sounded hollow. “Vincent, I wanted to so badly but… I couldn’t put you in that position. You would have had to leave your family and life forever. At the time I had no clue if Woods’ brother would ever be caught or found. I planned to be in WITSEC forever and I couldn’t make you leave your family like that. You wouldn’t have been able to work in the field you chose and you’d have had to leave everyone behind. Your mother, your sisters, all your friends in the Navy. Those men are like your brothers. How the hell could I do that to you? To the man I loved?”
He scrubbed a hand over his face and forced himself to stay where he was when he wanted to stalk across the kitchen and shake some sense into her. “So you made the decision for me? You just decided I didn’t love you enough to go with you?”
“No! It wasn’t like that. We’d only been together four months and you hadn’t even mentioned me moving to Miami with you. It wasn’t fair of me to ask you something so life changing. I knew the type of man you were and I was worried you’d feel obligated or something. I didn’t want to put you in a position where you had to make that choice. If you’d said yes, eventually you would have either resented me or just died inside. No way was I tearing your life apart like that.” Tears shimmered in her hazel eyes, but he hardened himself against the sight.
Grabbing her car keys out of his pocket he strode toward her and slammed them on the island. “Get the fuck out of my house.”
She flinched at his words. “Vincent, I’m sorry. So sorry you can’t even know. You’ve never left my mind. God, I’ve missed you so much and I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m asking for it. I’ve been working up the courage to see you for the past two months and—”
“Get. Out. Now.” He barely managed to get the words out before he turned his back on her and took a deep breath.
“Vincent…” Her voice cracked and he felt the light brush of her fingertips on his back, but he stepped away and stalked out his backdoor into the humid summer night.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. He could barely see or think straight. Seven fucking years without a word and she thought she could just walk back into his life and say she was sorry.
Living without her had been hell. He didn’t know how to handle this, how to handle having her abruptly show up again. She wanted his forgiveness but what else did she want from him? He felt like a fucking idiot still desiring her. How could she have left like that without telling him? He’d bought her a ring, had been ready to propose. Hell, he still had the thing in his safe. For some reason he’d never been able to force himself to sell it. Taking a deep breath, some of his anger dissipated. No matter how angry he was, he couldn’t let things end like this. He couldn’t just kick her out. Not when he still needed answers.
Even though he had no clue what to say to her, he headed back inside and found the kitchen empty. The subtle scent of her familiar perfume lingered in the air. Light vanilla and something that was all Jordan wrapped around him as he raced back through the house. He didn’t have her phone number or any clue where she was staying. He wanted to kick his own ass when he jerked open the door and saw the taillights of her car turning at the end of his street.
Cursing at himself he pulled his cell phone out and called the one person he knew who would be able to help quicker than anyone; Lizzy Caldwell. The woman might have had a baby two months ago but she was a computer genius and Vincent knew she was itching to get back to work. Now that Jordan had reclaimed her own name, Lizzy would have no problem tracking her down.
Whatever hell Jordan had put him through, Vincent intended to finish this one way or another.
Chapter 2
Vincent stood in the lobby of Porter and Lizzy’s high rise condo building, trying to control his racing heart. It was no use. The longer it took to see Jordan again, the more stressed he got. What the fuck had he been thinking, kicking her out like that? He hadn’t been thinking at all. He’d just been so pissed at everything. All the years she’d been gone, the fact that she hadn’t trusted him enough to make the decision about their future for himself.
And…he hated that she’d had to go through so much by herself. Starting over, leaving everything she’d known, testifying against a monster—it had taken a lot of strength to do that even if she should have told him the truth from the start.
“You can go up.” The man behind the security desk finally spoke as he placed the cordless phone back on its base on the desk.
“Thanks,” Vincent murmured.
Porter’s place had excellent security and all the residents had to use a biometric scanner to access the elevators—unless a security member overrode the system. And those guys were armed to the teeth. Normally Vincent wouldn’t bother any of his coworkers with something like this, but he needed help, and Lizzy and Porter were more than just co-workers. So he swallowed his pride because finding Jordan was worth it. He just couldn’t let her walk out of his life again.
The ride up to his friends’ place was quick. Too damn quick. He felt so exposed knowing he’d have to admit why he wanted Lizzy’s help. The elevator opened up into an airy, open entryway. There was only one door ahead of him and before he’d taken two steps it opened.
Porter strode out, looking exhausted—likely from being a new parent—but he also looked worried. “Everything okay? We didn’t realize our phones were even off until security buzzed us.”
Another reason Vincent felt like a jackass showing up at their place unannounced. They could have been catching up on sleep. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I, uh, I would never ask this unless it was important. I need Lizzy’s expertise finding someone.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“This isn’t work related.” Not a question.
Vincent shook his head. “It’s…personal.”
Porter’s blue eyes widened. “Holy shit, is this about a woman?”
Vincent’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t respond.
To his surprise, Porter grinned, his smile wide and almost mocking. For a man who rarely smiled except at his wife, the action took Vincent off guard. It also pissed him off. “This is funny to you?”
Porter shrugged. “It’s a little funny. Come on. We just put the little guy to sleep. Probably won’t stay down long but you have good timing.”
Moments later he found Lizzy in the kitchen sitting at the counter with her laptop and a bottle of water. Wearing one o
f Porter’s old Marine T-shirts and pajama pants that were also likely her husband’s, she glanced up when she saw him and the same concern he’d witnessed on Porter’s face was etched on her pretty features. “Vincent, is—”
He nodded, cutting her off. “I’m good, I just need a huge favor and only you can do it. I swear I wouldn’t have bugged you guys, especially with the new baby, but I didn’t know who else to ask.” And he wouldn’t have had to come to his friends if he hadn’t kicked Jordan out of his house. He shoved that thought down as he tried to push away the memory of her tears. Right now he wanted to kick his own ass.
He should have stayed and hashed things out. And found out exactly what she wanted from him other than forgiveness. Because he wasn’t sure he could let her walk away again. That thought pissed him off more than anything. It was just a reminder of how much power the petite woman wielded over him.
Lizzy’s dark eyes lit up. “I’ve just been catching up on work emails so a chance to do something fun… Will any of this be illegal?” She sounded practically gleeful as she asked.
Vincent shrugged and despite his dark mood, he grinned. “I need to track a woman down by any means necessary. Tracking her credit cards, whatever it takes.”
Lizzy started to speak, but the sound of Maddox wailing made them all pause. “I thought he was down for good this time,” she murmured, exhaustion creeping into her gaze.
When she started to get up and Porter moved into action with her, Vincent shook his head as he pulled out the envelope that contained everything he knew about Jordan and laid it on the counter. Having worked with Lizzy before many times, he’d known what kind of questions she’d have so he was prepared. “Unless he’s hungry I can take care of him and give you guys a break.”
