Savor the Danger

by Lori Foster

  “When he wanted in your pants.”

  “—I felt like I had to tell him something, so I said I’d been held for ransom.”

  Jackson mulled that over. “And he thinks Trace paid?”

  “Yes.” Her eyes closed and she kissed him, just above his right nipple.

  The brush of her lips on his skin drove him to distraction.

  “None of that, woman. I’m working.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.” She smoothed his chest. “You’re just so…edible.”

  God. He cupped her nape and turned up her face. “Trace is on his way. We have to move out of here tonight, soon as he gets here.”

  “I thought you insisted on being with me because we weren’t supposed to bother my brother.”

  “Unnecessarily.” Her safety was very necessary. “You’ll be able to grab a few things, but not a lot, so start thinking about what you’ll need.”

  She nodded, licked her bottom lip, then bit it. “Where will I go?”

  Jackson had an easy answer for that, and despite the circumstances, it filled him with satisfaction. He kissed her, quick and to the point. “You go with me.”

  If not always, at least for now.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  IT HAD TAKEN no more than a perfectly aimed kick to throw off the shooter’s aim, sending the shot wide of the mark. Firing a bullet near his head had kept him from attempting retaliation.

  That shot had missed on purpose; who wanted to deal with splattered brains and lengthy justifications? It’d be tough to stay anonymous if there were dead bodies to explain.

  The shooter was gone. But for how long?

  The scant light of stars and moon weren’t sufficient for using the binoculars. Jackson had wisely killed the lights in the house and yard, and the neighbors were far enough away that their lights didn’t reach. The only activity visible was the arrival of headlights from a car.

  So Jackson had backup. Figured. There was no reason to stay out in the humid, bug-happy night.

  Before packing it in, the spot was cleared so that few would know what had transpired. Only someone highly trained would detect any evidence of surveillance—and Jackson more than qualified as highly trained.

  Would he put the puzzle pieces together? Not yet. Not completely.

  But he would know he had a shooter on his tail.

  Time to go. For now. When the time was right…then they would start this all over again.

  TRACE ARRIVED WITHOUT DARE, which was one small blessing. When the three of them got together, their machismo was enough to choke a body.

  Dealing with Jackson on his own was enough to tax her wits. She didn’t need the testosterone in triplicate.

  Trace came because he loved her, she knew that. Yet when he arrived, he was all business and barely spared her a glance once he saw her unharmed.

  Unlike Jackson, who kept a gun in a holster at the small of his back, Trace wore a shoulder harness over his T-shirt. It bisected his body and emphasized pronounced muscles. Around his waist he wore a heavy utility belt laden with…stuff—nylon cuffs, a deadly knife, a stun baton, extra ammunition…

  She’d never before seen him like this. It unnerved her a little. Jackson took it in stride, as if he’d seen Trace so heavily armed plenty of times.

  “We’ll get Tobin,” Trace said to Jackson. “I already have someone on it.”

  “Not Dare?”

  Trace shook his head. “He was driving straight home to Molly after leaving your apartment.”

  Fascinated, Alani said, “So you guys have other people working with you?”

  Both men stared at her as if she’d grown an extra head. Trace had an arrested look on his face. Alani thought he might have been weighing the odds of telling her the truth versus covering up with a fabrication.

  But Jackson took her question in stride. “The less you know, the better.”

  “Another of those situations, huh?”

  “’Fraid so.” Jackson rolled a shoulder. “Just know that your brother has contacts everywhere. When necessary, he can call in a favor or two.”

  Assuming the favor wasn’t illegal? Or did a request from Trace supersede even that consideration? Alani knew he had cultivated associations in all facets of law enforcement and many within the political arena.

  In so many ways, her brother was a most astounding man.

  “But you didn’t just hear that,” Trace said. He scowled at Jackson for the disclosure, then entered the kitchen. With the house still unlit, he went to the kitchen window. Booted feet planted apart, he leaned to look out at the yard. “Could you place the shooter?”

  “Yeah.” Jackson kept her behind him. “Voices carry across these big yards, so taking that into account, I’d say about a hundred yards.” He nodded at her farthest neighbor to the back. “Somewhere behind that house.”

  “It’s for sale,” Alani told them. “It’s been empty for a few months now.”

  “Perfect place for a shooter to dig in.” Trace headed for the door. “Get her packed. I’ll be right back.” He went out the door in a low sprint.

  Over Jackson’s shoulder, she watched Trace blend into the thickest shadows. “He’ll be safe out there alone?”

  Jackson grunted. “Worry for anyone he runs into, not for Trace.”

  Her hand fisted in the waistband of his jeans. “The shooters?”

  “Shh. Relax. They’re long gone.”

  Tiredly, she leaned against Jackson. Her life had been so much simpler before the cloak-and-dagger drama. “So what’s the point then?”

  “He’s gonna check out the area around that house, see if he can pick up any clues, that’s all. It’s what I would have done if…” His voice trailed off, and he fell silent.

  Guilt weighed on her. Her uncomplicated, mundane life was so at odds with what Jackson did for a living. “That’s what you’d have done if you hadn’t been babysitting me, right?”

  Keeping watch out the window, Jackson reached back for a hug. “If there wasn’t an innocent to be protected.”

  “You wish you were out there now, don’t you?”

  Her morose tone brought him away from the window. His expression probing, he brushed the backs of his knuckles along her cheek. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”

  “Stranded on the sidelines with me?” Trying to be realistic, Alani accepted that the contrasts of their lives could be a deterrent to a lasting relationship. “I’m sure you love that.”

  His big hand cupped around her head. “Your safety is of particular interest to me, babe, no two ways about it. So, yeah, I love being here with you.”

  That “L” word left her thunderstruck and tongue-tied.

  “But truth is,” he continued, “I wouldn’t have left anyone behind unprotected.”

  So…was she special to him or not? She couldn’t tell by what he’d said.

  To lighten the mood, she asked, “Not even Marc?”

  He snorted. “Yeah, right. That fuck-up can fend for himself.”

  Since he’d tossed Marc away the second the firing started, she’d figured as much. Still taken aback over the idea that she might truly be special to him, Alani said, “Trace wanted me to get packed.”

  “Yeah. We’ll get to that in a sec.” There in the shadowy kitchen, appearing far too introspective, Jackson bent to kiss her, lingering, sweet, attentive and so gentle. “You’re holding up okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  His half smile did funny things to her stomach. “You bet you are.” His gaze slid down her body. “Better than fine.”

  All things considered, she did feel all right. A little shaken, exhausted, but not really scared. “I can’t believe Marc is a part of this.”

  “He’s a part of something.” Jackson turned back to the window. “But I don’t know what.” He straightened. “Here comes Trace.”

  Alani looked over his shoulder and saw nothing, yet seconds later, Trace came through the door.

  Amazing. Putting aside the dang
er, she rather enjoyed seeing the men at work.

  Grim-faced and larger than life, Trace glanced at her. “You packed yet?”

  She didn’t bother saying that Jackson had held her back. “I’ll only need a minute.”

  “Get dressed, too, okay?”

  Both of them watched her again, their expressions almost identical. “Meaning the menfolk need to talk?” She rolled her eyes. “You could just say that.”

  “Yeah,” Jackson told Trace. “She’s being really reasonable about classified stuff.”

  But Trace’s determination didn’t change. “Feel free to turn the light on in your room now. I’ll help you carry out your stuff in a minute.”

  “And with that dismissal…” Alani headed out of the kitchen, but before she’d gotten too far down the hall, she heard Trace and Jackson speaking quietly, so, without remorse, she paused to listen in.

  After all, this concerned her very much, and no matter how helpless they thought her to be, she wanted—needed—to be informed.

  “There were two shooters,” Trace confirmed. “One at the front, left side of the house, and one at the back near the patio. I’d say there was a scuffle out back, too, but someone tried to cover it up.”

  “Huh. So one shooter went after the other? That explains why one had a silencer, and one didn’t.”

  “Yeah. And it’s anyone’s guess why they were both scoping out Alani’s house.”

  “Competition maybe. Is there a bounty on my head that I don’t know about?”

  “Who the hell knows? Lowlife creeps seem to gravitate to one another. All I care about is disabling them, fatally if necessary.”

  “That plan works for me.”

  Alani stood there frozen, her mind cramping, her heart picking up speed. Hearing them talk about “fatally disabling” people made it so damn real. Not that she’d waste a moment feeling bad for anyone involved in human trafficking. She knew firsthand just how traumatic the enterprise could be.

  When the men fell silent, she hurried into her room and started throwing together her most necessary items. She didn’t want to take too much because she didn’t want Jackson to think she was moving in on him.

  The temporary relocation was only a necessary part of keeping both her and Jackson safe. Nothing more.

  Even after the men joined her in the bedroom, she continued to think about what she’d overheard. Their assumptions nagged at her until finally she couldn’t stand it anymore.

  With her suitcase packed, she found a change of clothes but paused before going into her bathroom.

  Trace fixated on the box of condoms on her nightstand.

  Defiantly, Jackson gathered up the box and dropped it into her suitcase.

  Both men looked at her, Jackson with tempered heat, Trace with irascible discomfort.

  Awwwwk-ward. Determined to get their thoughts on something less personal, Alani announced, “I listened in.”

  Trace’s brows climbed up.

  Jackson asked, “To what?”

  “You two talking. About the shooters, I mean.”

  The men shared a look. At least they seemed to have forgotten about the condoms.

  “Two shooters, right? And you assume they were both out to get Jackson. Or me. Whatever.” She flapped a hand. “But I was thinking… What if one of them was trying to help?”

  “Then why be lurking around in the dark in the first place?” Jackson asked.

  Trace agreed.

  But Alani wasn’t put off. She hugged her clothes to her chest, looked at each of them in turn, and stated the obvious. “You guys sometimes lurk in the dark, but you wouldn’t be out to hurt an innocent person. Think about that, okay?” And on that parting shot, with both of their faces registering surprise, she went into the bathroom to change.

  SLUMPED IN THE PASSENGER seat beside Jackson, Alani slept on the drive to his home. That suited him, because it gave him time to think.

  To come to grips with what she’d done to him.

  He used to be an easygoing guy. He knew what he wanted, he went after it, he had a lot of fun.

  He had a lot of sex.

  He had plenty of women.

  Now…he glanced her way. As always, her pale hair, falling forward to hide half her face, made him think sexual thoughts. Like how it felt in his hands, against his shoulder.

  How it’d feel on his abdomen, his thighs.

  She’d dressed in slim jeans and a loose casual tee. Before falling asleep, she’d kicked off her sandals.

  Her hand, palm up, rested beside her sweet little tush on the seat.

  She looked open, trusting. Delectable.

  Even sleeping, her breathing steady and deep, she turned him on like no other woman could. He shifted, his gaze constantly scanning the horizon. They’d finally left the more congested suburban area and were on the rougher back roads leading to his property. There’d been no trouble, no sign of the ritzy silver BMW. No one following at all.

  But he wouldn’t relax, not until he had her safe in his home.

  In many ways, the land he’d bought was similar to Dare’s. Wooded, near a lake, private and overrun with nature. He was so secluded, he could drink his coffee outside buck naked, and no one would see him.

  Again he glanced at Alani. Maybe he could talk her into that. He’d love to see her bare under the morning sun.

  He enjoyed seeing her naked, period.

  Actually, more than enjoyed.

  He looked at her, and it was beyond lust. Beyond mere attraction. Beyond anything familiar.

  Beyond anything comfortable.

  In the past twenty-four hours, he’d run the gamut of emotions, from tormented and furious, to hot and possessive, to demonstrative and…needy. Shit.

  Uncertainty burned over him, and he didn’t like it. He flexed his hands on the wheel and tried to concentrate on the rising sun. It broke over the land in a great crimson tide, so breathtaking that he wanted Alani to see it, too.

  He reached for her hand, twined his fingers in hers. “Hey, babe.”

  She shifted, wincing at what appeared to be a kink in her neck.

  “C’mon, sleepyhead. Open those mesmerizing eyes for me.”

  Blinking, she yawned, stretched her back and turned heavy eyes on him. “Jackson.”

  She sounded and looked like a woman fresh from an orgasm. “Yeah, still me.” How he could remain so fired up, he didn’t know. He’d always had stamina and a strong sex drive, but this was getting ridiculous.

  “Hi, you.”

  He smiled, lifted her hand and kissed her palm before returning both hands to the wheel. “You’re a heavy sleeper.”

  She rubbed at her eyes. “I guess.” She yawned again. “God, I need coffee.”

  “We’ll be at my place in a few more minutes. But I wanted you to see the sunrise.”

  She sat up to look, and the sunlight reflected in her eyes, burnishing the gold, showing off her long lashes, the perfection of her skin.

  God, he had it bad when he started waxing on like a drunken poet.

  “It’s beautiful, Jackson. Thank you for waking me.”

  The reverence in her voice matched his mood. “From my back porch, I see that every morning.” And every time he’d seen it, he’d found himself wondering if Alani would like the view, too. “When it comes up over the lake, it’s even more impressive because the colors sort of play over the surface of the water.”

  “Sounds amazing.” She tucked one leg up under her. “I’ve seen the setting sun at Dare’s, but not the sunrise.”

  “You like being near the water?”

  “I love it. Everything smells better, and there’s this peace that just settles over everything and everyone.”

  That was exactly how he felt. “Maybe we can take a boat ride later. One side of the lake butts up to a steep rise, but there are a few homes down toward the south cove. Mostly farmland. In the early morning, you can see the cows along the shoreline.”

  “Definitely a boat ride.” She smoo
thed her hair and leaned her head against the seat back. “I’m sorry I fell asleep on you.”

  “You needed the rest.” And he’d enjoyed watching her, just being near her, knowing that finally she was his.

  “You do, too.” She half turned toward him and put her hand on his biceps. The touch felt affectionate and interested in equal measure. “With all you’ve been through, you have to be running on lost reserves.”

  She made him sound like a wuss. “I’m okay.” More than anything else, he wanted her again.

  When would he not want her?

  A smile slipped over her face. “You don’t have to be macho for me, you know.”

  That burned his ass. “I’m not.” That she thought he might be playing a tough guy sounded even more insulting. “I’m just…me.”

  “You’re pretending that nothing happened.”

  He snorted. Nothing all that much had, at least not to him. “The drugs have worn off. That bullet didn’t hit me. We’re both safe. What’d you want me to do? Whimper? Curl up in the backseat while you drove?”

  “Maybe just admit you’re tired.”

  “I’m horny,” he told her with succinct honesty. “If you were up for it, I’d take you straight to bed for another couple of rounds.”

  “Wow.” She drew a deep breath. “Enticing as that sounds…”

  Knowing he’d lost all finesse, he laughed.

  “I need food, and sleep and a shower. And I want to see your home, your land.”

  His lust deflated. “I should have left you alone until things were settled.”

  “No.” She smacked his arm. “I wanted you, too, remember? But I’m not used to sex, period, much less sexual excess.”

  And even though he didn’t remember their first time together, she said he had been excessive. Add in what he did remember, and of course she wanted to pull back a little.

  He glanced at her, and memories crashed in. “You are so small.” His abdomen knotted. “I’ll have to be more careful with you.”

  Talking sex always left her flustered.

  “I don’t want you to do a single thing differently.” She ducked her face. “Just remember that while you might be invincible, I’m happy to admit I’m all too human.”