Al gave him a condescending smile. “Guess you don’t have to work with the money the Crenshaws earn off their various enterprises.”
Jude stood and stretched. “I can’t complain.” He dropped his arm around Carina’s shoulders. “You ’bout ready to go, tiger?”
They took their leave from her family. As soon as they got into the car, Carina asked, “What were you and Al really talking about all huddled together this evening?”
“He was telling me about the business.”
“Before that.”
“Ah. He was warning me not to hurt you.”
She groaned. “Of course he was. Why he’s appointed himself my guardian I will never know. He knows how much I hate it when he gets involved in my personal life.”
“Yeah, he did mention something like that.”
“Not that it stopped him.”
“Hey, he’s just looking after his sister. If I had a sister, I’d probably be the same way with her, vetting all her dates, that sort of thing.”
“Perhaps…if she were sixteen and still in high school. How does he think I managed to live in New York for three years?”
“Sowed a little wild oats, did we?”
She laughed. “Actually, I didn’t. I spent my time practicing and attending classes. Besides, Danny was a big part of my life.”
They pulled up in front of her apartment building and got out of the car.
On the way upstairs Jude said lightly, “I’m glad you’re willing to go out with me.”
“I’ve enjoyed being with you,” she replied.
Once her door was open, Carina said, “It’s still early, if you’d like to come in for a while.”
He brushed his finger beneath her chin. “I can’t,” he said ruefully. He kissed her and quickly stepped away. “I’ll call you,” he said, wishing for the moment that this assignment was over and that she’d been cleared. The truth was that he did enjoy her.
Of course he wouldn’t become seriously involved with her. He liked his freedom too much for that. Besides, neither of them were looking for anything other than a few laughs and some fun times.
Ruth and Hal were waiting for him in the living room when he got home.
“What’s up, guys?” Jude asked, relaxing into one of the comfortable chairs.
Hal answered. “The bug in their office worked. Al and Ben are going to Mexico City next Thursday on a buying trip. Think we should go?”
“Definitely. Since they haven’t seen you, the two of you could blend in as tourists seeing the sights. If they spotted me, they could get suspicious. Which reminds me. According to Al Patterson, Carina’s fiancé was going too fast, lost control and flipped over. No mention of his having been sideswiped.”
“Maybe they don’t know that part,” Ruth suggested.
“Or maybe they caused that part,” Jude replied.
“We also picked up another interesting conversation Al had with one of his relatives in Mexico City. It appears that neither his parents nor his sister know anything about what he and his brother have been doing and he made it clear to his cousin or uncle that they weren’t to find out. The ‘or else’ hung silently in his tone.”
Jude felt a moment of strong relief and justified the feeling to himself. Carina and her parents were nice people. They didn’t deserve to be brought up on charges because of the brothers’ illegal activity.
His relief had nothing to do with the fact that he was no longer dating one of the suspects. Of course he needed to continue to see her to stay close to her brothers despite the struggle he was having with his libido.
John came wandering out of the den and asked Jude, “Did you get any interesting information for us today?”
“I got to meet Davies and Sullivan. The three of them seem real buddy-buddy.”
“It’s certainly enough to cause suspicions to be raised, even though they could say they’re trying to get information on the family,” John said.
“Have you found out who deposited the money in their offshore accounts?” Jude asked.
“I’ve found out that they’ve done some very sophisticated work hiding the source. I’m still working on it. I’ve traced the money out of the country but haven’t been able to locate where it came from.”
“Geez,” Hal said. “You’ve been working on this for months. It can’t be all that difficult, can it?”
“Why, no, Hal, of course not. Why don’t you finish it up for me?”
Jude and Ruth laughed. Ruth said, “Now, now, boys, play nicely or we’ll take away your toys and make you go home.”
“I wish!” Hal snorted. “Okay. So Ruth and I will play tourists in Mexico City this week. John will continue the very intricate tracing of the money Davies and Sullivan are now enjoying and then there’s you, Jude. Got any plans?”
“I’m fairly certain I won’t be attending any more ballets any time soon,” he mused.
Seven
“Well?” Marisa said as soon as Carina picked up the phone the next morning.
“Good morning to you, too, Marisa.”
“Did he stay over last night?”
“You show more interest in my sex life than your own.”
“Listen, honey, you have a better chance of having a sex life than I do. You wouldn’t believe some of the excuses I keep getting for why he doesn’t come to bed when I do—he’s got work to finish up, he’s tired, there’s a late-night movie he wants to watch, and on and on. He told me over breakfast this morning that he has to go out of town this week. I’ve decided to hire an investigator to follow him.”
“I’m sorry that it’s come to this, Marisa, but I guess it’s better to know for certain what’s going on.”
“I didn’t call to discuss my wretched life, though. Did he stay?”
“No. He didn’t even come inside, although I did invite him.”
“Hmm. This calls for drastic action on your part.”
Carina laughed. “You’re incorrigible. You know that, don’t you?”
“Just part of my charm.”
“All right. Exactly what would you suggest?”
“Have him over for dinner this evening. Mom always sends you home from our Sunday get-togethers with enough to feed an army.”
“I can do that.”
“You don’t want to be slaving over a hot stove before he comes, anyway. You want to take a long, refreshing bath. Use scented oil in the water. Have the place lit with candles, have soft music playing. You know, get him in the mood.”
“Uh-huh.”
“C’mon, you can do it. I have faith in you.”
“I’m glad somebody does. You know I’m not very experienced. What did Al have to say about Jude after we left?”
“I think he likes him. At least he was talking about some of his relatives in politics, both here and in D.C.”
“Of course Al would be interested in Jude’s connections. Did he say anything about him, personally?”
“Just that he didn’t show much ambition.”
“Well, that’s true. But I don’t want to marry the guy. I’d just like to have an affair with him. I’m sure he could teach me a few things that would further my education a little.”
“So. Are you going to invite him over tonight?”
“I’ll ask him. I can’t force him to come, you know.”
“Go for it. You’ll be glad you did.”
“So you say.”
Carina’s call late Sunday morning surprised Jude. He hadn’t expected to hear from her and he hadn’t made any plans to see her. He’d been contemplating a visit to the ranch to see the new baby and visit with his parents and her unexpected suggestion caught him off guard.
“I thought you might like to come over this evening,” she said. “There’s a great lineup of movies on cable. I’d like to do something for you in exchange for all the time and money you’ve spent entertaining me since we met.”
“Ah, I…”
“Please don’t say no. We’ve been
so busy attending various functions that we haven’t had a chance for just the two of us to be together.”
Which was why he knew he should say no.
“I’d really like to, Carina, b—”
“Good. I’ll see you at seven, then,” she said, and hung up.
Jude looked at the phone in his hand and heard the dial tone. “Well, that went well.”
“You talking to yourself these days, Crenshaw?” John asked, ambling into the kitchen with a cup in his hand. He refilled his coffee and leaned against the counter.
“I must be. You know, there are times when this job really is the pits.”
“Tell me about it. I never talk to myself. However, I have long, involved discussions with my computer. My Internet service provider and I discuss with a great deal of originality the ancestors of the people who’ve set up all the safeguards to protect the information I’m looking for.”
Jude pulled out the makings of a sandwich from the refrigerator and made himself some lunch. “Does it help?”
“Oh, yeah. My blood pressure stays at a healthy level and I’ve yet to put my foot through the monitor. That’s worth something.”
“If I knew as much as you do about computers, I’d be more than willing to change jobs with you.”
He carried his sandwich and glass of iced tea to the table.
John sat across from him. “You’d have me date the beauteous Carina? Man, oh, man. I’d do that in a heartbeat. You getting bored with her?”
“No. Just tired of this whole charade I’m playing. I want to get the evidence and get the hell out of here.”
“As do we all, my friend. Maybe the trip to Mexico will net us what we’re looking for.”
“I can only live in hope.”
“So what’s on for today with Carina?”
“She invited me to dinner this evening at her apartment.”
“I’m waiting to hear the bad part.”
“That is the bad part. Now that we have the info on the brothers’ next move, I don’t need to see her so much. If they’re out of town, there’s no reason for me to date her now.”
“So break up with her.”
“I plan to, but not until we’re sure we’ve got the necessary evidence to nail their hides to the wall. I want to get these guys and every one of the bastards selling drugs to kids.”
“Maybe you should have been a DEA agent.”
Jude chewed, swallowed and drank some tea. “Maybe. However, I like the job I’m doing now at NSA. Which reminds me, you guys have been awfully friendly to an outsider who came in and took over this investigation.”
“You didn’t ‘take over.’ You were put in charge because we knew we had to do something drastic after our friend was killed. We’d take orders from Attila the Hun to get results in this job.”
“Attila. I’m flattered to be in such august company.”
John laughed. “Actually, you’re not half-bad. We figured you for some hotdogger who’d throw his weight and authority around us peons, but that hasn’t happened. The consensus is that you’re not half-bad to work with.”
Jude laughed and finished his drink. He took his plate and glass over and put them in the dishwasher. “Wow. All this adulation is going straight to my head.”
“Yeah, well, I guess I’ve stroked that ego of yours long enough. I’m going back to work.”
“You could take the day off, you know. You’re entitled.”
“Maybe, but I’m more comfortable with computers than I am with people, anyway. Uh, present company excepted, of course.”
“Of course. Goes without saying.” Jude walked out of the kitchen with John. “You’ve inspired me to go take care of the piles of paperwork on my desk.”
John laughed. “Don’t you love this profession? A thrill a minute.”
Jude knocked on Carina’s door at seven o’clock, feeling virtuous. He’d worked all afternoon filling out reports, filing papers, reading the reports of each of the agents until he’d cleared his desk. He considered this evening to be on his own time. As such, it was his choice to spend the time however he wanted. Since it would have been rude to cancel, he showed up at her door at the time requested.
She opened the door and stepped back. The way her face lit up and her smile sparkled made him uneasy. Something about their relationship had shifted the night of the ballet and country-and-western music dance hall. She seemed to have opened up to him in a way he couldn’t get a handle on. She’d told him that night that she liked him, which was fine, but he thought she’d also come to trust him, which wasn’t so fine. He really didn’t want to hurt Carina.
He’d first noticed her change of attitude toward him at the cookout yesterday, when she’d made it clear to all observers that they were a couple.
Once he stepped inside, she shut the door behind him. “I’m glad you could make it,” she said, still smiling.
There was something different about her tonight. Different from yesterday, even. She wore a slip of a thing that stopped at her knees with spaghetti straps over her shoulders.
There was a hint of a scent about her that he couldn’t place but he knew it wasn’t her regular perfume, which was bad enough. But this, whatever it was, wrapped around him like a siren’s song, promising him all kinds of delights if he’d move closer to her.
Instead he stepped away and looked around.
The light was muted on a dimmer switch. A couple of large pillar candles sat at either end of the coffee table. In between was a huge platter filled with finger food.
“You must have gone to a lot of work to get this ready.”
“Not really. I hope you like it.”
“Looks good.”
“Have a seat. We can turn on the TV now or wait until a little later.”
He sank into her comfortable couch and sighed. “Ah, feels good to relax.”
“I could give you a backrub a little later, if you’d like.”
This wasn’t going well if he was trying to keep tonight casual and friendly. Of course she wasn’t large enough to overpower him, but he definitely felt as though he was on the defensive.
On the other hand—and he had to be fair here—in the normal course of dating, being together like this would be the next step in a budding relationship. He could hardly tell her the truth about why he’d been dating her, which meant he’d have to walk a very thin line. He had no intention of taking advantage of her.
So Jude found it impossible to explain to himself a few hours later exactly why they were on the sofa making out like a couple of teenagers.
They’d eaten and watched a movie that had more romance than action. In fact, there were some pretty steamy scenes that would stir anyone. When Carina turned to him and kissed him, it seemed natural to return the kiss and the caress.
When he finally paused for breath, Jude said, “Carina, I thought we were going to keep our relationship casual.”
He really had trouble concentrating when she had her hands under his shirt. She had found his nipples and kept rubbing her fingers lightly across them. He didn’t need any more stimulation.
She tilted her head back and looked at him, and then down the length of the sofa where she lay half on him, and then back at him. Her lips were puffy from their shared kisses. “This is casual, don’t you think?”
Since his hand was pressed against her rear beneath the short skirt and the straps of her outfit had slid down her arms so that her breasts were exposed, he had trouble thinking.
“I mean,” she went on, “we’re certainly not dressed to go to a benefit or the ballet.”
He rubbed his hand firmly up her spine, pressing her against him. “I mean, that if we don’t stop this—right now—we’re definitely going to be making love. Is that what you want?”
She looked at him with delight. “Oh, yes, that’s exactly what I want!” She patted his cheek and added, “I promise to be gentle.” Her sparkling eyes made him forget why he’d ever thought he should stop.
&n
bsp; He held on to her and rolled to his feet, heading for the bedroom with her in his arms. “You’re something else, you know that?” he said between kisses. He dropped her on the bed and she laughed. She removed the satiny looking slip-thing and he couldn’t get out of his clothes fast enough.
He paused as he got into bed. “Damn. I wasn’t planning on this happening.”
She touched his erection lightly with her fingertip. “You forgot to tell him because he’s ready to go.”
“I don’t have a condom with me and I don’t want to—”
He stopped when she opened the drawer in the bedside table and handed him one.
He grinned. “You know, if I didn’t know better, I would say you’d planned this.”
“Really?” she replied, full of innocence. “Gee, what gave me away? The soft lighting, the music, the sexy movie or the fact that I only had one garment on?”
“I don’t want you to be sorry,” he finally said, carefully taking her into his arms.
“The only reason I might be sorry is if you decide to leave right now.”
“It’s too late for that, I’m afraid. I want you too badly.”
Eight
Jude had her so hot and bothered that Carina shook with need. Was this what Marisa had meant when she’d teased her about her lack of experience? Carina had never felt such a need deep inside her to reach completion. She wanted to feel his hard body against her, to run her hands over his back to provoke a shiver in him, to hear his harsh breathing and know that he was as aroused as she was.
The heat of his body enhanced the faint scent of his aftershave and she knew in that moment that she would never forget Jude and his lovemaking.
Some restraint seemed to have snapped within him because Jude no longer hesitated. He appeared focused on bringing her to the edge of a whole new world.
He stretched out between her legs and nibbled on first one breast and then the other, his hands never stopping their soft caress of her body from her waist to her thighs. The jolt of pure desire wherever he touched her caused Carina to whimper with need, frantically reaching for him until he shifted and slipped inside her.
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