An Honorable Seduction

by Brenda Jackson

  “And this is my friend David Holloway. David, you already know Jamila. This is her friend Horacio Jacinto,” Swan said, making introductions.

  The two men shook hands. Swan wondered if she’d imagined it but she thought David had tensed up when he’d seen Jamila and Horacio. “Nice meeting you, Horacio,” David said. “I can’t place your accent. Where are you from?”

  “Portugal.”

  “Nice country,” David said.

  “Thanks.”

  “I hope you’ll leave before it gets too late, Swan,” Jamila was saying.

  “I will. David came to make sure I got home okay.” Usually whenever she worked late, either doing inventory or making her jewelry, she would catch a cab home even though she lived only a few blocks away. But since David was here, she would suggest they walk. It was a nice night and she would love to spend more time with him.

  “We’ll see you guys later,” Jamila said. “We had dinner at Marty’s Diner and now we’re going to Summer Moon for drinks and live music.”

  “Okay. Enjoy. And I hope to see you again the next time the ship ports, Horacio,” Swan said.

  Horacio smiled. “I hope to see you as well.”

  After they left, Swan went to her office to get her purse. She returned and noticed David was standing in the same spot where she’d left him, staring at the door. “Are you all right?”

  He turned to her. “Yes, it’s just that Horacio looks familiar and I was trying to remember when I might’ve seen him. Maybe I’ve run into him before, here on the island.”

  She nodded. “That’s possible. He’s a chef on the Century Cruise Line that docks here once a week. Whenever it does, he comes ashore and meets up with Jamila. I think I mentioned that to you.”

  “You did, but I could have sworn I saw him a few nights ago. Sunday. After leaving your place.”

  Swan shook her head. “It wasn’t him. The ship didn’t arrive in our port until today. But you know what they say about everybody having a twin.”

  He chuckled. “You’re probably right, but I’m sure you don’t have one. I’m convinced there’s not another woman anywhere who is as beautiful as you.”

  Swan knew better than to let such compliments go to her head, but she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips. “You, David Holloway, can make a girl’s head swell if she’s inclined to believe whatever you say.”

  “I hope you do believe it because I spoke the truth.” He took her hand in his as they headed for the door.

  * * *

  Flipper pulled out his phone the minute he walked into his hotel room later that night. He’d felt it vibrate in his pocket when he was walking Swan home but figured it would be a call he needed to take in private.

  Swan had invited him inside but he’d declined, telling her he had a ton of paperwork waiting on him back at his hotel. That wasn’t a lie. He’d begun rereading all those naval intelligence reports to see if he could determine why those investigators had failed to do their job and instead intentionally went after Swan as a scapegoat.

  He checked his phone and saw Nick had called and Flipper quickly returned the call. “What do you have for me?”

  “More than you counted on. All I can say is whoever handled that investigation did a botched-up job.”

  Or they did the job they’d been expected to do, Flipper thought. “I guess there’s a reason you feel that way.”

  “Yes. That ink you sent to be analyzed isn’t what it’s supposed to be.”

  “It’s not ink?”

  “Yes, it’s ink, but coded ink. When applied to the skin as a tattoo, it can be decoded by a special light. It’s my guess that’s how the classified information is leaving Swan Jamison’s shop—with people’s tattoos and not with any of her jewelry. Guess where the ink is being shipped from.”

  “Swan mentioned from some place in California.”

  “Yes, that’s right and the distribution company is a few miles from the naval base in San Diego. That means someone on the base must be passing classified information that’s being shipped in the ink.”

  Flipper frowned. “And because Rafe Duggers is conveniently including Swan’s stones with each shipment, it makes sense for her to be suspect.”

  “Right,” Nick agreed. “Someone is setting her up real good, Flipper. They are definitely making her the fall guy.”

  Flipper wondered who in naval intelligence had targeted Swan and why. “I have another piece of the puzzle I need you to check out.”

  “What?”

  “The guy who was with Rafe Duggers two nights ago. The one I told you he was arguing with. I saw him today.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes. He came into the shop when Swan was closing up. His name is Horacio Jacinto and he’s Jamila Fairchild’s boyfriend.”

  “That’s interesting. I’ll find out what I can about him,” Nick said. “I wonder if Ms. Fairchild knows what’s going on or if she’s being used as a pawn.”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to make sure I keep an eye on all of them.”

  “Be careful, Flipper.”

  “I will.”

  A few hours later, after taking a shower, Flipper was sitting at the desk in his hotel room suite when his cell phone went off. Recognizing the ringtone, he clicked on and said, “What’s going on, Coop?”

  “You tell us.”

  Us meant Bane, Viper and Mac were also on the phone. “I guess Nick called you guys.”

  “Yes, he called us earlier today,” Bane said. “What’s going on with Swan Jamison sounds pretty damn serious. Don’t you think it’s time to call the CO?”

  Flipper ran a hand down his face. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was close to three in the morning. “If Nick told you everything, then you know it’s an inside job at the base. There’s a traitor somewhere and until I know who I can trust, then—”

  “You know as well as we do that you can trust our CO, Flipper,” Viper said. “Once you tell Shields what you’ve found out, if he suspects Martin or Levart of any wrongdoing, he will know what to do.”

  “Yes, however, the three of them share a close friendship. What if the CO is blinded due to loyalty?”

  “We’re talking about our commanding officer, Flipper. Shields would turn his own mother in if he thought she was betraying our country. You know that.”

  Yes, he knew it. But still... “I don’t know if Martin or Levart is really involved. Like Shields, they are Swan’s godfathers and I would hate to think they are shady. I just know it’s an inside job and right now I’m suspicious of just about everybody.”

  “We figured you would be, so open the damn door,” Mac said.

  Flipper frowned. “What?”

  “We said open the door,” Coop said, knocking.

  Flipper heard the knock, clicked off his phone, quickly went to the door and snatched it open. There stood his four best friends.

  “What are you guys doing here?”

  “What does it look like?” Mac asked as the four moved passed Flipper to enter the hotel room.

  “We figured ten pairs of eyes were better than two,” Bane said, glancing around. “Besides, we need to keep you objective.”

  “But what about your families? Viper, your wife is having a baby!”

  Viper chuckled. “And I plan to be there when she does. According to Layla’s doctor, we still have a couple of months, so I’m good.”

  “And our families are good, too,” Coop said. “They know we look out for each other and they agreed we should be here for you.”

  “Teri is glad I’m gone,” Mac said, grumbling. “Maybe when I go back, she’ll have a new attitude.”

  “Or maybe you’ll have one,” Bane said, frowning at Mac.

  “Whatever,” Mac said, picking up the hotel’s restaurant menu book. “Is it
too late for room service?”

  Flipper closed the door and drew in a deep breath as he watched the men gather around the table, already rolling up their sleeves, ready to help him figure things out. They worked together as a team and he would admit that whenever they did so, good things happened.

  “There’s something all of you should know,” he said, getting their attention.

  They glanced over at him. “What? No room service at this hour?” Mac asked in a serious tone.

  “That, too.”

  “What’s the other thing we should know, Flipper?” Viper asked, sitting back in the chair he’d claimed as soon as he came in.

  Flipper leaned against the closed door. “Investigating Swan Jamison is no longer just an assignment for me. It’s become personal.”

  The men nodded. “And you think we don’t know that, Flipper?” Coop asked in a steely tone. “That’s why we’re here. Someone is trying to frame your woman and we’re going to help you find out who and why. But first things first. You know what you have to do, right?”

  Flipper stared at the four men. Yes, he knew. Instead of answering Coop, he picked up his cell phone from the table and placed a call to his CO.

  Ten

  As far as Swan was concerned, Friday hadn’t arrived fast enough. With every passing hour, she would glance at her shop’s door expecting to see David walk in. One would think his surprise visit Wednesday would have sufficed. Unfortunately, it hadn’t.

  She’d had two days to think about how irrational her thoughts about David were becoming. He didn’t come across as a forever sort of guy and she wasn’t looking for a forever kind of relationship, so what was up with this urgency to see him?

  The only reason she could give herself was that she’d been alone and without a man’s attention for so long that now that she had it, she was in greedy mode, lapping it up like a desperate woman. And she had never done the desperate thing before.

  The door chimed and she looked up to see that it was Rafe who walked in. Lately she’d noticed him using the front door a lot more, instead of the back door to his parlor. They had decided at the beginning of his lease that the entrance to her shop was off-limits so his customers wouldn’t trounce back and forth through her shop on the days Rafe worked late.

  “Did your box of ink finally arrive?”

  He stopped and looked over at her. “Why would you be asking about my ink?”

  Now that, she thought, was a silly question. Did the man have a short memory? “Because you came by Wednesday looking for the shipment and left in a tiff when it hadn’t arrived.”

  “I wasn’t in a tiff and yes, I did get my box of ink.”

  Yes, he had been in a tiff, but if he wouldn’t acknowledge it, then she would leave it alone. “Good. I’m glad you got it.”

  She watched him walk off toward his parlor. He hadn’t been in a good mood lately. But then, maybe she’d been in such an extremely good mood that she had a distorted view. In fact, come to think of it, it was pretty normal for him to be moody.

  Moments later, while she worked with a customer, Swan watched as Rafe walked back through her shop and toward the front door. She decided if he did that again she would remind him of their agreement about which door he should use whenever he went in or out of his tattoo parlor.

  After her customer left, she glanced at her watch. Her shop would be closing in a couple of minutes. David usually arrived early. It would be understandable if he’d gotten detained, but she hoped he hadn’t been. She was so anxious to see him.

  The thought of how much she was looking forward to being with him should bother her, but for some reason it didn’t. Like she’d told Candy, Swan wasn’t expecting anything from her relationship with David. There had been no promises made, so none would be broken. The only thing she was expecting was exactly what she was getting—a good time. He was excellent company and great in bed.

  It had been almost three years since William, and during that time, although she’d dated, she hadn’t allowed herself to get serious over a man. Instead she had concentrated on opening her shop and making it a success.

  She had put her mind, heart and soul into Swan’s. Especially her heart, deciding that if she put it into her business, she wouldn’t run the risk of placing it elsewhere. Now it seemed there might be a risk after all and that risk had a name. David Holloway.

  A part of her wanted to protect herself from another possible heartbreak by calling David and canceling any plans for tonight and then to stop sharing any time with him after that. He had given her his number so she could reach him. She could certainly come up with a plausible excuse. But did she really want to do that?

  No, she didn’t.

  David would be her test. If she could handle a casual affair with him, then she would ace the test with flying colors.

  The door chimed and she glanced up and there he was. She watched him lock her door and put the Closed sign in place before pulling down the blinds. Then he slowly sauntered toward her wearing a pair of khaki pants and an open white shirt and holding her within the scope of those laser-blue eyes. There was his too-sexy walk and a smile that made her heart beat rapidly.

  Suddenly seeing him, when she’d been thinking of him all day, took complete control of her senses. Without much effort, the man had turned the sensuality up more than a notch. He had his own barometer of hotness.

  Finally moving her feet, she strolled across the floor to meet him halfway and walked straight into his arms. The moment he pressed his body to hers, she reached up and looped her arms around his neck. He responded by wrapping his arms around her waist, drawing her even closer so she fit against him.

  “I missed you, Swan.”

  She shouldn’t let his words affect her, but they did—to the point where she was having difficulty replying.

  “I missed you, too.”

  And she had, although they’d seen each other Wednesday. Even when she’d tried to convince herself that missing him to such a degree meant nothing. Now, as she stood wrapped in his arms, with her body pressed tight against his, hip to hip and thigh to thigh, she knew it meant everything.

  “That’s good to know, sweetheart,” he said in a throaty voice.

  Sweetheart? The endearment left her defenseless. She was trying to summon all her senses to regroup. And it wasn’t helping matters that his arousal was cradled in the apex of her thighs. Good Lord, he felt so good there.

  “Ready?” she found the voice to ask him.

  His gaze studied her face as if he was seeing her for the first time. As if he was trying to record her features to memory. And then a mischievous smile touched his lips. “I’m ready for whatever you have in mind, Swan.”

  Shivers of desire skittered down her spine and Swan wished his words hadn’t given her ideas, but they had. Ideas that were so bold, brazen and shameless she felt her cheeks staining just thinking about them. But at that moment, she didn’t care. She could and would admit to wanting him.

  She should wait until later to act on her desires. That would be the safe thing to do. But she knew she would be tortured during dinner whenever she looked at him. The way his mouth moved when he ate, or the way his hands—those hands that could turn her on just by looking at them—gripped his beer bottle. There were so many things about David Holloway that would do her in if she were to wait until later.

  “You sure about that, David?”

  “Positive. Do you want me to prove it?”

  Did she? Yes, she did. “Where?”

  “I will prove it anywhere you want. Right here in the middle of the floor if you like,” he said. “But I suggest your office.”

  * * *

  Flipper could tell by the way she was looking at him that she was giving his offer serious thought. He had no problems tilting the scale in his favor and he decided to do so. Lowering his head, he kissed her,
trying to be gentle and finding gentleness hard to achieve. Especially when her taste made him greedy for more.

  He knew she’d ceased thinking when she responded to his kiss by sinking her body farther into his embrace and tightening her arms around his neck.

  Some things, he decided then and there, were just too mind-blowingly good, and kissing Swan was one of them. What they’d shared these last few days was a dimension of pleasure he hadn’t felt in a long time—or maybe ever—while devouring a woman’s mouth. And when his hands shifted from around her waist to cup her backside, he groaned at the feel of her body pressed tightly against his erection.

  When he finally broke off the kiss, he buried his face in the curve of her neck and drew in a deep breath. This woman was almost too much. She looked good, tasted good and as he drew in another deep breath, he concluded that she smelled good, too.

  “You want to come with me, Mr. Holloway?” she asked, stepping out of his arms.

  “Yes.” The answer was quick off his lips.

  She took his hand. “Then follow me.”

  He had no problem following her and the minute he crossed the threshold into her office, he recalled the last time he’d been in here. Namely, when they’d shared a kiss that had nearly brought him to his knees.

  “It appears dinner will have to wait.”

  He glanced over at her. She had stepped out of her sandals. After locking the office door, he leaned against it and watched her undress. She was wearing a burnt-orange sundress with spaghetti straps. It looked good on her and the color of the dress seemed to highlight her hair and skin tone.

  He had gotten little sleep since his friends had arrived in the Keys. But then they hadn’t come here to rest. They had left their families to come here and help him solve a sinister plan of espionage against the country they loved.

  And to protect the woman he loved.

  He suddenly swallowed deep when that last thought passed through his mind. As he watched Swan remove her panties, he knew without a doubt that he had fallen in love with her. He wouldn’t try to figure out how it happened but just accept that it had. Now more than ever he was determined to make sure whoever was trying to screw her over didn’t succeed.