At least the snoring wasn’t too obnoxious, she noted with a sigh. It would’ve been easy to be annoyed with him. She could have woken him up, still—she would’ve been well within her rights to do it. Or she could’ve done it and used the excuse that she didn’t want him to fall asleep in his uncomfortable clothes.
But she couldn’t. She didn’t have it in her to ruin what looked like a truly deep, restful sleep. Rather than shove him or even nudge him awake, she stood in the doorway to the bathroom and watched as his chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm. His feet were crossed at the ankles, just short of hanging off the bed. She went over to him, practically tiptoeing, and unlaced his boots as gently as possible. He didn’t so much as flinch when she slid them over his feet.
Thank God for small favors. She didn’t want to embarrass herself by blushing and stammering when they settled into bed together, and she wasn’t about to be a child and insist he sleep on the floor—that would just be cruel, considering that the floors were concrete covered in the thinnest carpet.
While she had no doubt he had slept through worse, she didn’t see any reason to punish him.
There was plenty of room for her to slide in beside him, curling up on her right side, facing the window which looked out over the parking lot.
They had a big day ahead of them.
She only hoped that the snoring man lying beside her was wrong when he thought they were walking into danger.
Chapter Nineteen
“Come on, we can’t be late. We’ll only attract attention.” Logan checked his tie in the mirror. It had been a long time since he had to wear one, and he was beyond thankful for that. He never could get over the sensation of being strangled.
He guessed he should be grateful that he’d managed to get a suit that fit him reasonably. It wasn’t easy for someone of his size to do that. That was what big and tall stores were for. “Jenna, come on.”
“Okay, okay.” She opened the door to the bathroom, still talking. “I’m telling you if we show up early, that’s just as suspicious. The last thing we need to do is attract attention.”
That was a shame, considering that Logan forgot how to speak when he took his first look at her in the little black dress she’d purchased for the occasion. Sleeveless, well fitted, falling just above her knee. It accentuated her every curve while revealing nothing, leaving him hanging perilously on the edge of desire, wanting to know more, wanting to see what was hidden beneath the wrapping.
Her golden hair was arranged in a sleek bun at the nape of her neck, the tasteful pair of pearl earrings matched the string around her neck. Imitation, but they did the trick. She looked classy, sophisticated.
And absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. The sexiest thing he’d ever seen, hands down, no contest.
She edged him out of the way, checking her lipstick in the mirror over the dresser. It didn’t seem to alarm her in the least that he stared at her in slack-jawed wonder, having forgotten the basics of how to express himself. An overwhelming urge to hold her, to take her and throw her to the bed and make love to her until day turned to night and then today again had him in its clutches, threatening to destroy every last bit of self-control he possessed.
Silly him, thinking the problem would be showing up at an event where they knew no one, not even the dead man in question. The real problem was with her, and how hopelessly, helplessly under her spell he’d fallen without even knowing.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, looking at him in the mirror. “Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet.”
He scoffed at this, maybe a little too loudly. “Unlikely. Come on, we have to get going.” He couldn’t look into her eyes, not unless he wanted to say goodbye to any chance of making it out of this with his soul intact. She had eyes bluer than ever thanks to the makeup she used.
“I’ve got to admit,” she mused as they walked out to the truck, “you clean up well.”
He couldn’t help but snicker. “Thanks. I try to bathe and dress myself whenever I can.”
“You know what I’m saying. I’ve only ever seen you in jeans and boots. You look good in a suit.”
His wolf was in a frenzy, her compliments only rousing him more. Yes, he wanted her, in no uncertain terms. “Careful. I might start to get the idea you like me.”
“Oh, shut up,” she huffed, somehow managing to gracefully climb into a truck while wearing a dress and heels. “Don’t play childish games with me. I think we’re both too old for that.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The look she gave him could have frozen boiling water. “Stop acting like neither of us remembers what happened back in the house. I’ll grant you I was feeling a little vulnerable, but it’s not like I hate you. And I obviously don’t think you’re ugly or a waste of time. Can we just be frank with each other?”
“Fine. We can be frank with each other.” He backed out of the spot, bringing the truck around and swinging out onto the road. “For a second there, back in the room, I wanted to tear your dress off with my teeth. Is that frank enough for you?”
“Ew, jerk. Shut up.”
“I’m serious,” he informed her in a light tone. “That’s absolutely the effect you had on me. I almost lost leave of my senses. It’s the truth. Wow, I’m so glad we’re being more honest with each other now. It really is refreshing, you know? To be able to just say whatever is on your mind.”
“You’re going to make me hate you. I hope you know that.”
Maybe it was easier for her to think he was kidding, but that didn’t stop part of him from wanting to slam on the brakes, turned to her, and make her believe him. Her scent was absolutely intoxicating, much more so than the perfume she’d spritzed over her hair and skin. She called out to him, her wolf fighting to be heard even if Jenna wasn’t consciously aware of it.
And his wolf most definitely heard her. Heard her and wanted to respond.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and found her picking at her nails, biting her lip. “Listen, I didn’t mean to make you nervous. I might have exaggerated a little.” He hadn’t. If anything, he’d understated the facts of the situation, but something he’d said had upset her, it was obvious, and he wasn’t a monster.
“I know, I know. It’s just that this is all really fresh for me. I haven’t… you know.” She shot him a look, shrugging. “It’s been a very long time. Like, since high school.”
Desire raced through him, heating his blood. Yes, he knew what she meant, and he could relate. There hadn’t been anybody since Beth. He wanted to tell her she wasn’t alone, that hiding from the world had meant hiding from every aspect of life. Sure, he’d turned down more than his fair share of propositions. It wasn’t as if there was no opportunity out there.
He just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He’d only ever been with her, his Beth, and following her up with anybody else who could never mean as much as she had felt empty.
“You’re just a little rusty when it comes to being around other people, that’s all. Loosen up a little. Enjoy yourself. I was only joking. I know you know how to banter.”
Instead of firing back a quip, the way he would’ve expected, she looked away, out the window. “I guess I’m not so good at it when certain topics are broached.”
“I won’t talk about it again,” he promised, though his wolf howled loudly enough to almost split his head open.
There was no time to continue since they were already pulling up to the Douglas residence. Logan had to loop around and approach a second time since by the time he’d reached the house there was no parking to be found. They had to leave the truck two houses down and walk the rest of the way.
“A pretty popular guy,” he observed in a low voice, counting cars which lined both sides of the road.
“All the easier for us to blend in without being noticed,” Jenna pointed out. He noticed the way her eyes scanned the area, constantly moving. The rest of her was utterly composed, relaxed, but her eyes missed n
othing.
“All the more chance of there being somebody here who we don’t want to run into,” he retorted.
“Do you ever get tired of yourself?” she sighed.
“All the time.” At least she giggled at that.
There was no one to stop them at the door, no one to ask how they were acquainted with the deceased. He’d already decided to call them old friends, former coworkers. Involved in a project together. It wasn’t a complete lie. Jenna had agreed to back up the story.
They stepped into a gorgeous foyer and were immediately offered a drink. She accepted a glass of wine, while he stuck to water. “You believe this place?” Jenna whispered as they moved slowly through dozens upon dozens of black-clad mourners.
No. He didn’t. Considering the pain the man who’d bought this house caused, considering the lives he had destroyed, Logan couldn’t believe it. It was stunning, filled with art and sculpture, more like a museum than a comfortable home where children lived. A dog, too.
It was clear though once they entered the family room that overlooked the backyard that the kids did most of their living here. There was a TV, a video game console. The furniture looked as though it had actually been used, though it was still in excellent condition. He spotted a pair of sneakers under a table near the back door—somebody had probably forgotten to move them before the guests arrived, along with a hockey stick propped up in one corner and a basketball beside it.
Seated on the sofa, side-by-side, were two kids who looked to be roughly twelve years old. Twins, a boy and a girl. They were mentioned in Jack’s obituary, along with his wife Leslie. She stood behind the sofa, almost painfully erect like she was forcing herself to hold it together at least until everybody left.
“I want to feel sorry for her,” Jenna murmured. “But I can’t.”
Logan looked around again, taking in the wealth in which the family resided. “You think she knew? She enjoyed all of this anyway?”
“Exactly.” There was a hardness in her gaze as she regarded the widow.
Logan stepped in front of her, his eyes darting around. “If you can’t be objective, we have to go,” he murmured. “Somebody’s gonna notice you giving Mrs. Douglas a death glare.”
“You’re right.” She shook her head a little, taking a deep breath. He couldn’t help but wonder if looking at Leslie Douglas brought Jenna’s mother to mind. Had she known what the general was involved with? Had she enjoyed the fruits of his labor, knowing what that labor meant?
He placed a hand on her elbow, hoping to bolster her little. “This is difficult for all of us,” he murmured like he was comforting a grieving friend.
“Yes, it is,” she whispered, eyes downcast.
They continued moving through the house, picking at the hors d’oeuvres carried on silver trays by uniformed servers. People tended to cluster in groups at events like this, he noted, and he lingered near such a group while grabbing a cocktail napkin from one of the two bars set up on opposite ends of the house.
“They say he just bought the car earlier this month,” the woman whispered.
Logan snapped to attention but did everything in his power to conceal the fact that he had. He took his time pouring seltzer water over ice in a plastic cup.
“I heard that, too,” the man murmured. “Leslie said something about one of Jack’s old coworkers going missing recently, too.”
“Really?” another woman gasped. That would be Leslie, by Logan’s guess.
“Yes, she didn’t know any details. Just said Jack was concerned about it.”
“You aren’t about to get started on another one of your conspiracy theories, are you?” someone asked, bringing soft laughter from the others.
“I’m just saying this work is awfully secret. You know Leslie was two seconds away from divorce at one point. They barely made it.”
“You’re kidding!”
“Sure. She said she was sick of raising the kids alone while he locked himself in his office most of the time or spent days on end at work. There were a lot of hush-hush phone calls, messages he deleted from his phone as soon as he noticed Leslie taking note of them. He was a complicated man. I don’t doubt that anyone he worked with was just as complicated.”
Strange but the first person who came to mind was Jenna. They’d split up for the moment while she found the bathroom, so she missed this little revelation. Would it make her feel better if she knew Leslie was unaware of the specifics of Jack’s work life?
“Hey.” She managed to sneak up on him while he was thinking of her. Her cheeks flushed with excitement. “You won’t believe what I just heard. We should go.”
“Why? This was all your idea.”
“I think I know what I need to know. Trust me.” She took him by the hand, fixing her expression into one of grief and sympathy before leading him through the house and out through the front door. The suspense nearly killed him as they walked all the way to the truck, but Jenna didn’t seem to be in any hurry. Of course, it would look suspicious if the two of them bolted from the house.
Only once they were together in the truck with doors closed did she let out a huge breath. “Wow, people sure do like to talk at those things,” she laughed. “I practically learned the entire family’s life history on my way to and from the bathroom, for God’s sake.”
“I heard a little bit myself,” he informed her, also laughing. Now that it was over and they both made it out unscratched, they could afford to laugh, to let off some steam.
“See? I told you this was a good idea.” She favored him with a bright, genuine smile that lit up her entire face made her eyes sparkle, but it wasn’t her eyes that got his attention, his focus zeroing in on her mouth—plump, glistening, just waiting to be kissed.
He would be the world’s biggest idiot not to kiss her, so he did, leaning in before he had time to rethink his impulse.
He could have told himself she was only letting off more steam, that the thrill of having gotten away with their little mission was what drove her to take his tie in her hand and wrap around her fist, pulling him even closer, that the way she strained closer to him with the console between them was only because it had been so long since she’d been kissed this way.
There was a deeper awareness in him, an awareness that couldn’t possibly accept this as the whole truth.
Only the sound of voices outside the truck could break them apart, and it did. They were panting, flushed, her pink lipstick smeared. He knew it was smeared over his mouth too, though he could hardly bring himself to care. At least the windows were tinted so no one had to know a pair of mourners were making out in the front seat.
“I’m sorry,” he grunted, hating himself for saying it before the words had fully left his mouth.
“Don’t be,” she panted. “You don’t have to be sorry for that. For other things, maybe, but not for that.”
She handed him a tissue from her purse which he used to remove what he could of her lipstick, using the rearview mirror as a guide. “It might make you feel better to know that Leslie nearly divorced Jack a while back. The person I overheard said she was sick of his secrecy. Granted, maybe she knew something and knew better than to tell any of her friends, but even so. That would mean she wanted to divorce him because she couldn’t live knowing what he’d done.”
“Oh, that’s good to know. I don’t know why it’s good to know, but it is.” She wasn’t being honest with him, and he knew it, but he was willing to let it pass. Even with most of his blood surging to a certain area of his anatomy and thus away from his brain, he could think clearly enough to know this wasn’t ground he wished to tread on, not just then.
“And he just bought the car earlier in the month. It was practically brand new.” He surveyed his work, guessing he’d done all he could. At least she wasn’t wearing a bright red color—he would’ve looked like a clown.
“I’ve got a better one for you,” she fired back, maybe a little too excited. “I overheard somebody say it was
such a shame, especially since the family had just avoided a home invasion two weeks ago.”
“Really?” he asked, his brows lifting.
She nodded. “Evidently, somebody tried to get in through the back door. They found footprints all around the outside of the house. The breaker was located in the pool house, and whoever it was broke in there and cut the power to the house.”
He whistled, shaking his head. “They meant business.”
“Yes, they did. And just like it happened with me, they assumed the house would be asleep at one in the morning, but one of the kids was up, playing video games, and he woke his parents and told them that the power went out. Whoever it was got scared off when Jack pulled a gun.”
“No kidding.” Logan sank against the seat, mulling this over. “He would’ve been even more careful than ever after something like that. Looking over his shoulder. You know what I mean.”
“He was.” She flashed a triumphant smile, which was understandable if not slightly out of place considering the topic. “The day of the crash was the first day he even left the house since the botched robbery attempt. He worked from home every day. He hadn’t even taken the car out. Told friends he was sick, but what do you think the odds were he was just plain scared? The accident took place not a mile away from the on-ramp to the interstate. How much do you want to make a bet he lost control of the car once it reached a certain speed?”
“Sure.” The more they talked about this, the harder his blood pumped. Again, there was no shaking the sense that they were both being absolutely morbid, practically gleeful. He couldn’t help it. Watching pieces fall into place was satisfying. “The intruder could afford to run away because they had already tampered with his car. The invasion was just a backup.”
“Or it was the other way around, and planting something in the car was the backup plan. Either way? This was calculated. Somebody killed him, and you and I both know we would be idiots if we thought it was anybody other than one of his contacts with the group.”
Wolf Shield Investigations: Boxset Page 111