Even so, she hugged the memory of his jealous face tightly to her all night long.
On Tuesday, she was nearly involved in an accident when a car pulled out behind her into the path of an oncoming car. Jordan thought little of it until she noticed the same gray car behind her ten minutes later. It followed her to the supermarket and then to her parents house. Bemused, she drove around the block a couple of times. The car followed. Jordan pulled up and opened her door. The gray car slowed and then sped up and turned the corner. As it streaked past, she saw a bullet-shaped dark head in dark glasses atop a pair of burly shoulders.
She tried to shrug it off. Like Nick said, probably just a nosy photographer.
But the strange feeling stayed with her. The next day, as she waited for the lift in her building, a giant of a man stepped out. He wore a black suit and dark glasses. His head was close-shaven. She couldn’t see his eyes but something about his expression, the look he gave her, made her shiver. He turned as she passed him and did not take his eyes off her until the doors closed.
The hairs rose on the back of her neck at the intensity of the look he gave her. Even once inside her apartment, she couldn’t shake the feeling. She drew the drapes, poured herself a soda, started on dinner, all the while berating her vivid imagination.
She was being silly. Was it the photos, or her fear that if she and Nick were found out, she’d have to give him up?
She’d always felt perfectly safe here. There was no designated doorman manning the entrance, although there was a building supervisor. The residents used a swipe card to get in, which, as Nick had proved with his unannounced visit on the weekend, wasn’t foolproof.
On her way to the court next morning, she asked the building super if he’d noticed a big man in the building yesterday.
“Big man, suit, dark glasses?” Robert said, and she nodded, her stomach doing a weird slide.
“Not in the building but there was a bloke across the street for most of yesterday, either sitting in his car or leaning against it. Seemed like he was watching the building. I thought it might be a cop.”
“What kind of car?”
“Mercedes. Silver.”
Jordan had no idea what type of car had followed her yesterday but the difference between gray and silver was open to interpretation.
Grow up in a fishbowl and you get suspicious.
But later, she thought she spied the same car following her home. Quickly pulling into a space on the street, she went into the nearest coffee bar and ordered a drink. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, the big man in the glasses entered. He ordered from the counter and sat down by the door, facing her. She stared over the rim of her cup, her heart thudding, watching as he opened the newspaper he’d brought with him and raised it to conceal his face.
Despite herself, she smiled, looking for peepholes in the paper. What did he want? Feeling like a regular Nancy Drew, Jordan decided to have it out with him. Anything was better than wondering and at least there were people around.
Draining her cup, she stood and marched over to his table, flicking the newspaper smartly. “Is this it?” she demanded in a loud voice. “The rag you work for?”
The paper lowered and the man stared up at her, ridiculously still wearing his dark glasses. “Sorry?”
“I want to know who you work for,” Jordan repeated.
The man picked up the cup in his dinner-plate-size hands and sipped before lowering it again. “I’m just hanging, reading the paper,” he said.
Jordan frowned. Why wouldn’t he tell her? It would come out anyway. “Do you deny you have been following me all over town, watching my building, every move I make?”
The woman at the next table stared intently with that gleam of sly recognition Jordan was only too familiar with.
The big man leered at her, leaving her in no doubt that he was enjoying the altercation. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Miss Lake,” he said insolently.
Jordan sighed. She was getting nowhere, except making a spectacle of herself. At least the guy knew he was rumbled and when his story—whatever it was—hit the headlines, she’d have her father roast the editor.
She shook her head in disgust. “Just leave me alone,” she muttered and stalked out the door.
He must be a reporter, she reasoned as she got into the car. The only other possibility was an investigator and why would someone want to investigate her?
Nick’s thunderous face when he’d turned up at her apartment entered her mind. Jealousy, unwarranted as it turned out, but what if he hadn’t believed her about Jason?
Jordan laughed out loud at the thought he would go to any trouble to keep an eye on her. Ridiculous! They each had their own lives and there was no tie between them. Sparked by the delivery of the photos, her imagination had spiraled into paranoia, just another example of her attention-seeking personality.
Nothing further happened that week and by Friday, she’d forgotten it and arrived at the hotel at the new time of two p.m., very much looking forward to seeing him.
Usually Nick checked in and waited for her in the room. She headed for the elevators but happened to glance at Reception where two men stood with their backs to her. A thrill of excitement jetted through her when she recognized one as Nick. Jordan hesitated by a tall potted plant and decided to wait until he’d gone up, just in case she was recognized.
She thrummed with anticipation. Maybe he was right about their increased exposure to each other in court. She’d felt his eyes on her several times today, like a hot caress, making her tingle, building her excitement.
As she watched, Nick turned away from the reception clerk and spoke to the man beside him. A big man, with shaven head, a prizefighter’s body and dark glasses.
Jordan froze. It was him—coffee bar man! She was sure of it.
She barely noticed as Nick walked on toward the elevators. Her eyes remained glued to the man, who just stared after Nick until he disappeared behind the elevator doors.
She moved right behind the plant now, shaking her head to clear it. Stay calm…she needed to think this through. The sequence of events was only seconds and she went over each one in slow motion. Nick reaching for the keycard, talking to the smiling receptionist, turning away from the counter, pausing to talk to the big man beside him. And then walking to the lift.
The man now had his back to her and Jordan took the opportunity to escape. She drove home in a daze and let herself into her apartment. And then she began to tremble.
Could it be true? Was Nick behind a sinister campaign to unsettle her? Was he having her followed because he thought she was sleeping with Jason? She sat there for nearly an hour but peace of mind eluded her. When her phone rang, she answered it with a sense of ominous fatalism, remembering his face on Saturday night, the hard tone of his voice that she’d never heard before. “You want him, Jordan?”
But it was her mother to say Syrius had suffered a heart attack and was being rushed to hospital. Jordan ran, forgetting all about Nick Thorne. Just as she reversed out of her space, she noticed Robert, the building supervisor, waving out to her. Next thing, there was a huge bang and sickening crunch, so loud, she thought there had been an explosion.
Her heart racing in fear and shock, she checked the rearview mirror to see a gray car at the back of hers, its front passenger door crumpled. A gray car—it filtered through the funk in her mind and she looked wildly about for Robert. Her panic eased slightly when she saw him crossing the car park toward her. She pushed open her door, her veins flooded with adrenalin.
And just as she did, Nick Thorne alighted hurriedly from his dented car. His gray Mercedes.
She froze, her mouth dropping open, keyed so tight, she thought she might scream.
“Are you all right?” In two steps, he was beside her, his face full of concern.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, curling her hands into fists by her side.
“Are you all right, Miss Lake?
” Robert approached, his eyes wide.
She ignored him and stared at Nick’s face, catching the tension that rolled off him in waves.
“Why don’t you look where you’re going?” he demanded. “You could have been hurt…”
“You hemmed me in on purpose,” she fumed. “Why are you following me?”
“I came to see where you were. I waited for nearly an hour.”
“You had your stooge to keep you company. Get this—” she flicked her hand disdainfully toward his car, “—out of my way. I’m in a hurry.” Turning, she stalked back to her car and yanked the door open.
“Oh, no, you don’t!” Nick skirted around the car and grabbed her arm.
Vaguely she heard Robert offer a protest but all she could see was Nick’s furious tight-lipped face.
“I’m not hanging around waiting for you, Jordan. That’s the second time you’ve stood me up. You’d better have a damned good reason.”
She tugged her arm from his grasp, desperate to get away and be with her father. “You’re following me, stalking me,” she said loudly for Robert’s benefit. “And I want it to stop.”
She slid into her car but he barred her door from closing. “What are you talking about?”
“Keep away from me, Nick!” Her demand was almost a yell. She glanced at the doorman. “I have a witness and he’ll back me up. You’re stalking me and I want you to leave me alone.”
She gave a mighty pull on the door but he held it firm. “Request granted, and gladly.” His eyes glittered like the ice in his voice. “You have much too high an opinion of yourself, Jordan Lake.”
With that, he slammed her door and swiftly made his way to his car, flinging a sour look at Robert, who backed off quickly. Then he gunned the engine and sped from the car park, leaving only the tinkle and crunch of glass.
The aftershocks hit Jordan in a series of hot waves. She laid her forehead on the steering wheel, trembling with emotion. Incredibly, her anger had vanished along with Nick, and although he hadn’t denied following her, the confusion in his face confused her. But she didn’t have time to worry about that now. She had to get to the hospital.
Robert tapped on her window. “Your taillight’s broken, Miss Lake. It’ll need seeing to.”
She grimaced. “Later. Robert, was that the car you saw outside the building this week, the one with the big man in dark glasses?”
Robert shook his head. “No, ma’am. It was a Mercedes, but silver, not gray.”
Six
At eight-thirty on Monday morning, Nick exited his office elevator to find his brother sitting on his assistant’s desk. His black mood darkened even more. “What do you want at this time of the morning?”
Noting Jasmine’s flushed and suddenly busy demeanor, it occurred to him that maybe Adam wasn’t here to see him at all. Scowling, he strode on into his office.
He’d spent the whole weekend stewing about the fight with Jordan—not that he had any idea what it was all about. One minute he was eagerly anticipating their lovemaking after a week’s abstinence. The next, spun into a rage when she didn’t turn up. Her accusations in the car park outside her building floored him and he could still hear the anger in her voice when she demanded he stay away from her.
Well, she’d got her wish. He flung his briefcase onto the desk, glad he was finished with it. Now, at least, he wouldn’t have to lie about being booked up every Friday afternoon.
He hadn’t even taken off his jacket when he heard Jasmine’s startled “Wait!” and looked up to see the subject of his thoughts stalking in through his door. She marched straight in and flung the newspaper in her hand onto his desk.
Nick froze, his jacket half on, eyes leaping eagerly to her face. Jasmine appeared behind Jordan. “Nick, I’m sorry.”
“Excuse us, please.”
Jordan stood tall, her cheeks pink, eyes blazing. “What the hell are you playing at?”
With effort, Nick tore his eyes off her face and glanced down at the “Stepping Out” page of the local daily, picturing Jordan leaving the hotel. A brief caption read “Jordan Lake takes a break from the court case between her father and Randall Thorne looking glam as always in her little black dress.” It was the same photo as the one that had been sent to her home. So it was a newshound after all.
But what did that have to do with him? He looked up into her face. “What am I supposed to have done now?”
“Don’t give me that,” she fumed. “Having me followed, watched—badly, I may say. Your goon didn’t even care that I caught him.”
Nick stared at her, uncomprehending.
She huffed out an agitated sigh. “The same gorilla I saw you with on Friday?”
Shaking his head, Nick finished removing his jacket and draped it over the back of his chair. “Gorilla?”
“At the hotel reception.”
He eyed her while unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling his sleeves up. He’d never seen her angry before last Friday. Two minutes ago, he hadn’t cared if he’d never seen or spoken to her again. Now, treacherously, his whole being warmed at the sight of her, sparks spitting from her eyes, her haughty chin raised high and mouth plump with a sullen moue. Nick was dangerously close to enjoying himself. “Jordan, what possible reason would I have to follow you?”
“I want it to stop, Nick.” She leaned forward and rapped on the newspaper. “Now even my mother is asking questions, thanks to this.”
She thought he’d sent the photo to the papers? Completely bamboozled—and worryingly exhilarated with it—he bit back a smile. The clouds that had darkened his weekend vanished in her presence, but he was astute enough to discern that if he smiled, she would probably deck him.
So he looked her straight in the eye. “Why don’t you sit down and tell me about it,” he suggested, doing his best not to sound patronizing. “I’ll order some coffee and we’ll…”
“I don’t want coffee,” she blurted, “and I don’t want to talk. I just want you to leave me alone.” She stabbed the air between them with her index finger.
Nick started, filled with concern. There was something very wrong here. She was close to tears, more upset than he’d realized. Glistening eyes, the tremble in her voice…“Jordan…” He stepped around the desk but she whirled and made for the door.
He saw red. She couldn’t just leave without giving him the chance to defend himself. He strode after her, his fingers grabbing her arm as she yanked the doorknob. “Don’t you walk away from…”
“Keep away from me!” She lifted her arm to shake him. The door flew open and there was Adam, standing close, blatantly eavesdropping. Several heartbeats went by while both of them glared at him. At least he had the grace to step to the side and look contrite.
With a little huff of disgust in Adam’s direction, Jordan turned her head to Nick. “In fact, keep your whole family away from mine.”
Randall Thorne chose that moment to walk out of his office, stopping dead when he saw Jordan.
Jordan’s eyes narrowed, all trace of her heated passionate plea lost in cool disdain. “You’ll be pleased to know,” she addressed the room in general, “that you won’t be required in court this morning. The case has been adjourned.”
Nick shot a warning look in Randall’s direction in case the old man smart-mouthed her again.
“My father had a heart attack on Friday,” Jordan continued. “He had an angioplasty and is still in the hospital.”
Nick exhaled and took a step toward her. “Jordan…”
“Don’t you dare say you’re sorry,” she snapped and gave each of the men in turn a bitter, recriminatory look. “Just keep away from us.”
She stalked to the elevator, pressed the button and left.
No one spoke for a long moment, all eyes on the elevator. Even Jasmine looked stunned. Nick turned and walked stiffly to his desk, trying to assimilate what just happened. She thought he was stalking her, trying to blackmail her? And her father—sympathy welled up. God in heaven, what mo
re damage could his family inflict on hers?
Adam and his father walked in. “What was she doing here?” Randall Thorne demanded.
Nick gave him a narrow glance. “Her father? What do you think?”
Adam cleared his throat and sat. Nick decided not to look at him, guessing his brother had heard a little more than he was entitled to.
He sat and rubbed his face briskly. “Christ, a heart attack.” He felt somehow responsible and he could see on Randall’s face that he felt the same. “This has got to stop, Dad.”
“What did I…?”
“This bickering and fighting between you and Syrius. I don’t care if you never shake hands and make up, but no more, do you understand?”
“He started this…”
“No, you started the latest outbreak by taking that award off him. He just carried it on.”
“I’ve been insulted and slandered for years by that man. I’ve been the soul of patience and tolerance because your mother begged me…”
Nick raised his hand sharply and his father’s voice trailed off. Come to think of it, he was just in the mood for a family conference. His blood was pumping—frustration, indignation at Jordan’s wild accusations and shock about her father. And, if he was honest, the zing he got every time he looked at her…
It was time he got a few things sorted out around here. “Dad, I want you to announce your retirement at the birthday party.”
His father looked up in astonishment. “Next month!”
“You’ll be seventy. It’s time to go.”
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