Nick was a different man this morning. Only now could she appreciate how much of his personality he’d been holding back since she’d met him.
If she hadn’t been in love with him before, she certainly was now.
Nick stood with his hands in his pockets looking out the window at the parking lot. He probably should have awakened her earlier because they needed to drive until they reached El Paso before stopping. He hadn’t been able to make himself awaken her.
When he slipped out of bed, she had been curled on his shoulder. He’d carefully disengaged himself, amused at her frowning acceptance of the pillow in lieu of his shoulder. Once he’d showered, shaved and dressed, he’d returned to the bedroom and sat nearby, watching her sleep and thinking about what had happened.
The fact was that it had happened. There was no going back now. He didn’t want to look too far down the road, whether it was the physical distance they needed to cover in the next few days or the emotional distance that stretched out ahead of them.
She was so blessed young, not so much in years, although she was at least ten years younger than he, but in experience. She’d led a very sheltered life, due in part, he was sure, to agents like him who cur tailed her social life quite nicely. She looked even younger asleep.
He didn’t know what they would find in New Orleans. Sam had mentioned the name of the tanker, which helped, but Nick had no idea how accessible it would be or what he might find if he managed to board her. In addition, he had to make very sure that Ashley remained safe.
Now was when he could use some backup. He knew that the local police could always be called upon in an emergency, but the problem here was that no one wanted this to get out, if it could be prevented. He knew that Harvey would speak to no one about anything to do with the president.
Outside of Harvey, he knew he needed to do this one alone—and count on Ashley’s basic good sense to stay as safe as he could make her.
She was singing in the shower. The tension that had been building up between them had been eased, at least temporarily. He no longer intended to fight what was happening between them. Resisting Ashley took more energy and effort than he was capable of expending at the moment.
She walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her head, another one around her torso. “I’m starved,” she said, reaching into her bag for fresh clothing. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”
He turned and smiled. “No problem. I’ve worked up quite an appetite, too, and seeing you in that skimpy towel is making it worse.”
She laughed. “Now who’s teasing?” She hurriedly dressed in what had become their uniform of jeans and a sweater. After combing the tangles out of her hair, she pinned it in a knot of some kind and covered it with her stocking cap. She grabbed her jacket, made certain everything was repacked in her bag and looked at him with a dazzling smile. “I’m ready.”
All he could think about was just how ready he was, too…and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
He took her bag, as well as his, and placed them in the trunk of the car. Afterward, he wrapped his arm around her and guided her toward the restaurant. She slipped her arm around his waist, matching her step to his.
When they entered the restaurant, Nick asked for a nonsmoking booth. They were led into the interior of the spacious area. It was still early for New Year’s Day. Very few people were there.
The waitress took their orders and left a carafe of coffee at the table. Nick poured them each a cup, and they sat there quietly drinking it. Nick knew that his gaze kept returning to her face, but he could no more look away from her than he could tap-dance on top of the table.
“What?” She wrinkled her nose. “Do I have something on my face?”
He grinned and wiped an imaginary smudge from her cheek. “You’ll do just fine, darlin’.” He loved to see her blush because her eyes sparkled, as well.
The waitress returned with their orders. Ashley’s stomach growled at the scent of pancake and eggs, bacon and sausage. They both laughed.
“You folks are up awfully early,” the waitress said with a smile. “Or maybe you haven’t been to bed yet.”
Nick glanced at Ashley and saw her take an inordinate amount of interest in her breakfast. “We’re up early.”
“Just passing through?”
He nodded. “Visiting my wife’s family in Albuquerque.”
The waitress nodded. “Let me know if I can bring you anything,” she said, returning to the front.
“Albuquerque?”
“Oh, you don’t mind being referred to as my wife, just the destination bothers you?”
She shook her head with a smile. “You’re very good with the glib lie. I’ll need to remember that.”
He thought it more politic not to touch that one, so he followed her example and began to eat. Within minutes there was nothing left on either plate. Ashley sat back and sighed before pouring herself another cup of coffee. She held the carafe up in a silent offer and he slid his empty cup toward her. After filling it for him, she returned to her cup and took a sip.
“Are you always this quiet in the morning?” he finally asked.
“Usually. Why?”
“Just wondered.”
Nothing more was said until they were ready to leave. The same waitress took their money. “Was everything all right?” she asked.
“Great,” Nick replied, then was startled when Ashley suddenly took his arm and leaned against him. He raised his brow and looked at her, and she gave him another sparkling smile back.
He waited until they were in the parking lot before he asked, “What was that all about?”
“What?”
“You nuzzling my arm back there.”
“That woman was flirting with you. I was just staking my claim.”
“What are you talking about? She just asked if everything was all right.”
In a patient voice Ashley said, “It wasn’t what she said, it was how she said it. She was un dressing you with her eyes.”
He laughed. “Right.” He paused beside the passenger door of the car and opened it for her. “I thought I felt a draft.”
When they drove out of the lot and headed south, Nick realized that he was still smiling.
Chapter 14
There was no reason to believe that anyone was looking for them in New Mexico, Nick decided, but he planned to take no chances. He followed the highway south, intending to go as far as the Texas border where he would catch Interstate 10 heading east. Eventually it would take them all the way to New Orleans.
He glanced over at Ashley and smiled. There must be something hypnotic about being in a car for Ashley. They’d been on the road about an hour when he noticed she’d fallen asleep. She’d removed her cap once they were in the car and her hair had dried in thick waves around her neck and shoulders. He envied her the ability to sleep so soundly.
Of course, she hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. Visions of their lovemaking filled his mind, not a good idea at the moment. Instead, he concentrated on the reason for this trip. Sam Masters.
He and Sam went back a long way. It would be like Sam to get himself involved in something before he fully understood what was going on. That much of his story Nick believed. He also believed that if the president had been placed in danger, Sam would not betray him if he could help it.
However, Sam was up to his eyeballs in this mess. He knew who had kid napped the president. And why. Knowing Sam so well, Nick concluded from the way Sam acted that there was a good chance the hostages wouldn’t be freed when this was over.
If that was Sam’s concern, it was now Nick’s greatest fear. He had to do whatever he could to find them before something happened to them.
His next concern was Sam’s other warnings—about Greg Chambers and his not-so-veiled allusion that if something were to happen to James Sullivan, Jason Freeman would benefit by automatically becoming his successor.
Damn Sam, anyway. If he had evidence of any of
this, why wouldn’t he give it to him? Who was Sam’s pipeline and where was he or she located? Had he learned from a Colorado source that Chambers had ordered a helicopter to pick up a couple in a remote cabin and decided it had to do with Ashley? A reasonable assumption, Nick had to admit.
Who had sent the earlier chopper that had picked up Sam? It came too early to have been from Chambers, and Sam wasn’t surprised when it arrived. If he and Ashley had gotten on either helicopter, would they have been returned to the Denver airport or taken somewhere else?
Would Sam have allowed them to become hostages, as well? He’d actually seemed relieved that Ashley wasn’t there, so it was a good bet that he might not have had control over where they would have been taken.
He was thankful Sam bought his story about Ron and Ashley. He’d been able to use Chambers’s omission to protect her. Getting Ashley out of the area was the safest thing he could do now that Sam, and possibly others, knew where she was.
If he could reach New Orleans by the time the tanker appeared there, he might get some answers. He hated being cut off from all lines of support, but he didn’t dare take a chance of alerting the wrong people that he might know where the presidential family was being held.
Ashley stirred and sat up straighter in her seat. “Where are we?” she asked, yawning. She looked around and frowned. “This doesn’t look like planet Earth, that’s for sure.”
He grinned. “It’s part of the White Sands area,” he said.
“We’re still in New Mexico?” she asked, sounding disappointed.
“’Fraid so. I don’t want to take a chance on getting stopped and having to answer a bunch of questions. So I’m staying just below the speed limit.”
“This looks so desolate.”
“Mmm.”
“Have you been here before?” she asked.
“Yep.”
“Doing what?”
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”
“Very funny.”
“Do you need to stop for any reason?” he asked.
“Is that your delicate way of suggesting a rest stop?”
He chuckled. “I suppose.”
“I could use one.”
“I intend to stop for gas the next town. It’s about ten more miles.”
She was quiet for a few minutes, then said, “I’m hungry, aren’t you?”
“A little, I guess. I haven’t given it much thought.”
“We never stopped for lunch.” She sounded disgruntled.
He knew better than to smile. “I know.”
She leaned forward so that she could see his face. “Is there some particular reason why?”
He gave her a quick glance. “I didn’t want to take the time. I figured we could make do with the snacks we picked up last gas stop.”
She sighed. “You aren’t into nutrition much, I take it.”
He smiled. “Not much.”
She shook her head. “Figures.” She reached over and turned on the radio.
“…and the latest from the first family is that they are enjoying their vacation at sea. We spoke with one of the White House staff who assured us that everyone is enjoying this break from the heavy duties demanded of the first family,” a reporter said.
Another voice said, “At least they aren’t bothered by the press. I understand that the area where they are has been closed to other seagoing vessels, or so some reporters are saying.”
Ashley looked over at Nick. “What do you suppose that means?”
He shrugged. “The VP is doing whatever it takes to keep all of this quiet. If word leaks out that the family is missing, we’ll have massive problems.”
She swallowed hard. “Won’t whoever is holding them want it known?”
“Not until they’ve accomplished whatever it is they hope to accomplish. If I can just get to the family in time, we’ll be able to deal with this from a new angle.”
Ashley continued to look at the scenery for several minutes without speaking. Suddenly she straightened. “What if that news report was right? I mean, we really don’t know where they are, or if they were actually taken off the yacht and are now being held on a tanker. Maybe they really are out there fishing and enjoying themselves and all of this has been some gigantic hoax by who knows who. How are we going to know?”
“I’ve thought of that, too. However, the attack on the van was real enough. Ron can certainly attest to that. Unless we want to consider that ambush a random act, then we have to assume it had something to do with your father’s disappearance. How many people knew that we would be at that deserted airfield in the middle of the night?”
“Good point.”
“I do intend to speak to the VP as soon as we get to El Paso, which is where we’ll be spending the night. If he is involved in any of this, I can’t let him know that we’re on our way to New Orleans. However, I can report that you’re safe but I don’t intend to bring you in just yet, and see what his response is. He was expecting us back in Washington yesterday.”
“What if he is involved? Doesn’t that make everything more dangerous for my father?”
“Without a doubt. Jason Freeman has full access to everything that is going on.”
“You used to work for him. What do you think?”
“Right now, I’m not willing to stake your family’s lives on trusting anyone.”
He saw a sign for a service station ahead and began to slow down. Once they were parked by the pumps, he said, “Go on inside. I’m going to stay here and fill the tank.”
He waited until she was out of sight, then he reached for his phone. He keyed in a number that would automatically connect him to a private number that only a few people knew existed.
As soon as the phone was answered, Nick said, “Logan here. Change of plans. I won’t be flying back today as scheduled. I’m afraid the situation has mushroomed on us. I’ll be in touch as soon as possible.”
He hung up and walked into the convenience store to pay for the gas. As soon as he stepped inside, Nick spotted Ashley at the counter laughing at something the young man behind the register had said. Nick froze, then forced himself to walk casually over to where she stood. He dropped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her against his side. “Find everything you wanted, honey?”
When she looked up at him in surprise, his gaze did not falter. She grinned impishly, which should have given him fair warning. However, he wasn’t quick-witted enough. Before he could step away she went up on her toes and kissed him on the mouth. When she stepped back, her cheeks were glowing. “Oh, I think so,” she murmured provocatively.
She’d managed to steam up his sunglasses, not to mention caused his temperature to climb. He pulled out his billfold and paid for the gas, ignoring the grinning clerk. He looked over his shoulder at Ashley and said, “I’ll be out in a moment,” which to him was clear enough instruction for her to be in the car when he returned from the restroom.
No such luck. He found her browsing through the books and magazines.
“Are you going to buy one of those?”
“Uh-uh. Just waiting on you.”
“I’m touched.”
Her grin was still filled with mischief. “Oh, you should be.” She turned and walked out ahead of him, her hips swaying slightly.
She knew exactly what she was doing. He opened her door for her, then closed it firmly before walking around to the driver’s side.
Once inside, he turned and looked at her. “You know you’re playing a dangerous game, don’t you?”
She arched her brows. “Am I?”
“You’d better believe it.” He started the car with jerky movements and drove out of the filling station.
“I’m scared,” she replied, obviously teasing. “Nick the grouch is back. I’ve already gotten to know that part of your character quite well.”
“How do you know that isn’t all there is to my character?”
She settled back into her seat and smiled seductively. �
��Oh, I know.”
Why was it that Nick was feeling less in control than ever?
The sun had set but there was still some light in the sky when they drove into the out skirts of El Paso. Ashley had been quiet since they’d gotten gas. He wasn’t certain that was a good sign. She seemed to be entertaining herself with some amusing thoughts.
She’d also fiddled with the radio, looking for strong enough signals to be able to keep music going in the car. Nick meanwhile concentrated on what he intended to tell Vice President Freeman when he called.
There had been other times when he’d been on his own, having to make decisions that could get him killed. At those times, he had placed his own life in danger, not another person’s. His feelings for Ashley were a jumbled, very chaotic mess. The only clear thought he had where she was concerned was that he didn’t want to place her in any danger.
On the other hand, he was taking her to what he hoped to be the center of this whole mess. He didn’t like his choices, but he would do what he had to do.
“There’s a nice-looking place. I figure you don’t want to stay in one of the big hotels?”
“Not if I can help it. I want to make our cash last as long as possible.”
The hotel was one of a chain that was known for its economical rates. It looked newer than the one they’d stayed in the night before. The parking lot wasn’t completely filled. He hoped that meant they were early enough to get a decent room.
He pulled up in front of the office and went inside. He’d requested an upstairs room. The ground floors had sliding doors that opened onto a pool area, which was one too many doors to watch as far as he was concerned.
When he returned to the car, he glanced at Ashley. “Let’s get cleaned up and I’ll take you out for a big steak.”
“Oh, yes. We’re in Texas now. Cattle country.”
“Actually we’ve been in cattle country since we crossed the Mississippi. Texas just makes a lot of noise about the industry.”
“Where are you from? I don’t think you’ve ever mentioned it.”
“Wyoming.”
“I was born in Colorado.”
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