“What's the matter, Jessie?” His voice was deep and dark. “Nervous now that everyone else has gone?”
“No, of course not. Why should I be nervous?” At that moment Jessie stubbed her toe against the leg of the chair, tripped, and sprawled across the bed. Mortified, she buried her face in the blanket. “Good grief, how can I marry a man who turns me into a walking disaster?”
“The same way I can marry a woman who gets me into situations where I wind up running around in the woods in the middle of the night playing hide-and-seek with people who carry guns,” Hatch said. “Very carefully.”
Jessie tried to stifle a laugh and failed. “That was a joke. I know it was.”
“You're wrong. I meant every word. In fact, I have never been more serious in my life.” Hatch pulled her up so that she lay beside him on the pillows. His expression was very intent as he speared his fingers through her hair and gripped the back of her head. “We're engaged now, Jessie. It's official.”
“Yes.” She knew her lower lip was quivering. She could feel it. A sense of desperation tore through her. “Hatch, I love you.”
“I'm glad.” He covered her mouth with his own and rolled her onto her back, crushing her into the bedclothes. “I want you to love me, Jessie. I want it very, very much,” he muttered against her lips. Then he deepened the kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth.
Jessie felt herself plunging into deep water for the second time that night. But this time the water was warm, not icy. Her arms went around Hatch's shoulders as the weight of him bore her downward. For long moments she was caught up in the spell of his lovemaking, unable to think of the future or the past, longing only to please and be pleased, to satisfy and be satisfied.
She slitted her eyes briefly when she became aware of Hatch's hand gliding down the length of her, lifting the hem of the nightgown. Then his fingers were on the insides of her thighs and she sucked in her breath.
He parted her, moistening his fingers in the sweet, liquid warmth he had drawn forth. His lips found her nipples through the fabric of the gown as he touched her intimately. When she lifted herself against his hand and cried out softly, he groaned.
“Touch me,” he muttered. “Yes. There. Hold me. God, Jessie. Yes.”
He was naked beneath the sheets, his body heavy with arousal. She curled her fingers around him and felt the drop of moisture at the broad, blunt tip of his manhood.
“Hang on.” He took a deep breath and pulled away from her, groping for something on the nightstand. “Give me a second. I've got it here, somewhere.”
She opened her eyes again and saw the stark need on his face. Lightly, wonderingly, she touched his cheek. “You said you wanted children.”
“Yes. Damn. Yes. Jessie, are you sure?”
“I'm sure. I think, with a little practice, you would make a very good father, Hatch.”
He stopped groping for the condom and pushed her flat on her back once more. His mouth captured hers in a kiss of searing need as he surged heavily into her warmth.
Hatch lay awake for a long while after Jessie fell asleep in his arms. One hand crooked behind his head, he watched the patterns on the ceiling and thought about the future.
He was not in the clear yet and he knew it, even if Jessie did think everything was tied up with a neat pink bow. Hatch understood that the potential for disaster still loomed. It was his way to calculate the odds and to take risks when the time was right. He had learned the hard way to do it in his personal life just as he did it in business.
He knew he had done a good job of cementing his future with Jessie by deliberately linking himself to Benedict Fasteners and the entire Benedict clan. He had been as thorough as possible about the task. Jessie was devoted to her family and he was rapidly becoming a part of the family. Everything was under control so long as nothing forced Jessie to have to choose between him and the rest of the clan.
The last thing Hatch wanted was for Jessie to ever have to make such a choice.
Hatch did not kid himself on that score. He knew that if Jessie were ever placed in a position where she had to choose between him and her family, the odds were not going to be in his favor. For Jessie, family would always come first.
And the family was bound by Benedict Fasteners.
The control of the company was the key.
Hatch turned the problem over in his mind a few more times. He did not like uncertainties. This was not the first time he had contemplated a method of getting Jessie out from under the responsibility she faced. He was definitely vulnerable as long as she had the long-term duty of looking after the firm for the rest of the family.
Hatch examined the plan he had been working on for the past few days. It was almost time to implement it. There was some risk involved, but he was fairly certain it was minimal now. With every day that passed he was more in control of the company and of his relationship with Jessie. With every passing day he was more certain that Vincent Benedict trusted him.
Hatch knew it was time to make the final move in this high-stakes game he was playing with his own future.
It was nearly dawn when Jessie stirred in the depths of the tangled bedding. She brought her elbow, which had somehow gotten caught in an awkward position above her head, down by her side. She collided with something solid.
“Oooph.” Hatch winced.
“Sorry.” Jessie propped herself up to look down at him in concern. “Did I hurt you?”
“That's supposed to be my line.” He touched his side with tentative fingers. “But since you ask, I think I'm going to survive. Damn. Is it morning already?”
“Afraid so. I wouldn't worry about it. We've got a while yet before everyone heads downstairs for breakfast.”
“Good. I need some more sleep. I've had a very hard night.”
She chuckled. “Yes, I know.”
He looked offended. “I was speaking in the literal sense.”
“So was I.”
Hatch sighed. “For the record, I would just like to point out that the worst hours I have ever worked in my life were the ones I just put in for Valentine Consultations. Remember that the next time you complain that I'm a little late getting home in the evening.”
“Now, wait just one minute here—”
“Forget it. I don't feel like pursuing this conversation. Let's change the topic.”
“To what?”
“To our engagement.”
“What about it?” Jessie asked.
“You seem to have thrown yourself somewhat whole-heartedly into the thing,” he pointed out carefully. “It was your idea to forget the protection last night, wasn't it?”
“Yes. Are you sorry?”
“Good God, no.” He reached out and pulled her down across his chest. “Jessie, I know you've had your doubts about marrying me, but I promise you I'll do my best to make certain you don't regret this.”
“I'll see that you do. Your best, that is.”
Hatch smiled ruefully. “Yeah, you probably will. Nag, nag, nag.”
“You got it.” She squirmed into a more comfortable position. “Hatch?”
“Hmmm?” His fingers toyed with her hair, pushing it back behind her ears.
“I've been thinking about David.”
“What about him?”
“He's different somehow. I can feel it.”
Hatch smiled fleetingly. “Your famous intuition?”
“I think so,” she said quite seriously. “It's because of you, isn't it?”
“Me?”
“You made him an important part of the rescue operation.”
“I didn't make him an important part. He was an important part.”
“He wasn't the only one in the crowd who knew how to fight,” Jessie said gently.
Hatch shrugged. “David needed to know he could handle himself in a fight if he had to. He's been trying to prove himself to Vincent since he was a kid. But a man doesn't start growing up until he realizes that the only one he has to prove himself
to is himself. I offered him a way to do that. Lucky I did, or we'd never have known about Hoffman being in those woods until it was too late.”
“Very profound, Hatch.”
“You like that, huh? Well, I've got something else even more profound to say to you.”
Jessie tipped her head to one side at the new note in his voice. “And that is?”
“I think it might be best if you quit Valentine Consultations.”
“Quit my job?” Jessie jerked herself upward and off the bed and stood glaring down at him. “Are you out of your mind? This is the best job I've ever had.”
“I don't want you involved in any more rescue operations like the one last night.” Hatch sat up slowly and put both feet flat on the floor. “And I'm afraid that when the news hits the papers, people who've lost kids to cults will be flocking to Valentine Consultations. You'll want to rescue each and every one of them. It's too dangerous. I won't have it.”
“Hatch, it won't be like that. This was a fluke case.”
“You can say that again. But the longer you live, the more you realize there are a lot of flukish things in this world. Jessie, I don't want to argue about this.”
“Good. Because I don't want to argue about it either.” She turned and stomped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
Half an hour later they joined the others downstairs in the breakfast room. The dining area smelled strongly of freshly brewed coffee, pancakes, eggs, and frying bacon. Alex, Susan, and David were already occupying one of the large tables. They looked up expectantly as Jessie and Hatch entered the room.
“Uh-oh,” David murmured, his eyes on Jessie's set face. “Do I detect trouble in upper management already?”
“Jessie has always had a problem fitting into the corporate hierarchy,” Hatch said as he sat down and picked up the menu.
“He means I don't take orders well.” Jessie slanted Hatch a fulminating glance.
“She'll learn,” Hatch said easily.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
So do you love him or what?” Elizabeth leaned over the railing and peered down into the murky green depths of Elliott Bay. Sea gulls bobbed on the water, searching out french fries and other discarded edibles from an assortment of plastic cups, paper, and litter that floated on the surface.
The Seattle waterfront with its shops, restaurants, and aquarium was only sparsely crowded this afternoon. A few tourists were strolling along on the sidewalk behind Elizabeth and Jessie and there were some joggers heading toward the park at the far end of the promenade.
“Of course I love him. Why else would I agree to marry him?” Jessie frowned down at the trash that marred the beautiful bay.
“Because everyone in the family wants you to?”
“I'd do a lot for this family, Elizabeth, but I would not marry someone just to keep everyone happy.”
“Aunt Glenna says sometimes people do weird stuff just to please relatives.”
“I wouldn't do anything that weird,” Jessie assured her. “Don't worry about me, kid. I'm not doing this for you or David or the moms. I'm doing it for me.”
The sun sparkled on the lenses of Elizabeth's glasses as she looked up. Her small face was screwed into an expression of serious concern. “You're sure?”
“I'm sure.”
“What changed your mind about Hatch? You told me you couldn't ever marry him.”
“That was before I got to know him better.”
Elizabeth nodded. “You mean you've decided he's not like Dad after all?”
Jessie smiled to herself. “No. Whatever else he is, he is definitely not like any other man I've ever met.”
“Well, if you're sure you know what you're doing, I guess it's okay.” Elizabeth stepped back from the railing. “You want to go through the aquarium now?”
“Sure.”
“You ever miss your old job there?”
Jessie made a face. “Not in the least. Something about cutting up plain ordinary fish to feed to fancy exotic fish just didn't appeal to me. Seemed a little unfair, somehow.”
Elizabeth grinned. “They let you go because you kept wanting to rescue the plain ordinary fish, didn't they?”
“Aquarium work was obviously not a good career path for me.”
“You think working for Mrs. Valentine is a good career for you? The moms say they hope you'll settle down and find a real job after you marry Hatch.”
Jessie recalled the argument she and Hatch had had on that subject. Not another word had been spoken concerning her career at Valentine Consultations since they had all returned from the San Juans yesterday afternoon. But she knew Hatch better than to think he was going to let the matter drop.
“I don't know why everyone's complaining about my working for Mrs. V,” Jessie muttered. “It's obvious I'm at last in an upwardly mobile position. Business is going to boom in a few days when word gets out about the Attwood case.”
“Have you finished your report for Mrs. Valentine?”
“Not yet. I'm still working on it. I want it to be really impressive. This case is going to totally revitalize Valentine Consultations and I want to be sure she appreciates the brilliance of the way I handled it as well as the new marketing potential of the firm.”
Elizabeth giggled and then was silent for a moment as she glanced down over the railing once more. “You know, I wonder what Elliott Bay was like before people started throwing garbage into it.”
“Spectacular.” Jessie looked out toward the majestic Olympics. When one viewed it from a distance, the sound was as beautiful as it must have been two or three hundred years ago. “It still is spectacular. It just needs to be cleaned up, and that's going to take some hard work and a lot of money. There aren't any easy answers and there's still so much we don't know about ecology and the environment.”
“I can sort of see why people got excited about what Edwin Bright was selling.”
“So can I,” Jessie said. “Too bad it wasn't for real.”
Later that afternoon Jessie bounded up the sidewalk and into the downstairs hall of her office building. As usual there was a green glow emanating from Alex's office. She poked her head inside and smiled at the sight of Susan Attwood and Alex huddled together in front of the computer.
“What are you two working on?” Jessie asked.
“Hi, Jessie.” Susan smiled shyly.
Alex glanced over his shoulder, squinting against the glare from the hall. “Oh, hi, Jessie. Susan and I are going through some more of the DEL files for the authorities. You've got a visitor upstairs.”
“Wow. A new client? Already? Word travels fast.”
“Don't get excited. It's your Aunt Glenna.”
Jessie wrinkled her nose. “Come to ask me if I really understand the full ramifications of what I'm doing by getting myself engaged to Hatch. I suppose I'd better reassure her. At least she didn't summon me to her office to interrogate me this time.”
Alex shrugged and turned back to the computer screen. “Let Hatch handle her if she gives you a hard time. He's good at handling things.”
Susan nodded soberly. “Yes. Why don't you do that?”
“I can handle my own family, thank you very much.” Jessie made a face at the back of Alex's head and closed the door.
It struck her as she stalked up the stairs that everyone appeared to have forgotten she was the one who had organized the rescue of Susan Attwood. She should have thought twice about letting Hatch go along on the mission. That was the problem with a natural leader. He gave orders naturally and people naturally tended to follow them. Afterward he got all the credit. Naturally. Nobody recalled who the real brains of the operations had been.
Aunt Glenna was standing at the window gazing down at the sidewalk below when Jessie pushed open the door and walked into the office. She was dressed in a crisp, sober gray suit with a pale blue blouse and low businesslike pumps. When she turned her head Jessie could see that her eyes looked even more serious than usual behind the lenses
of her black-framed glasses.
“There you are, Jessie. Your friend downstairs let me in.” Glenna glanced at her watch. “I can't stay long.”
“Have a seat, Aunt Glenna.” Jessie dropped into the chair behind the rolltop desk and decided to take the offensive. “I expect you're here to congratulate me on my engagement.”
Glenna did not move from her position near the window. “There's no need to be facetious, Jessie,” she said gently.
“Sorry.”
“I am naturally concerned that you know what you are doing. There has been a great deal of pressure on you from the rest of the family to go through with this marriage.”
Jessie smiled and leaned back in the squeaky chair. She picked up a pencil and began tapping the point on the desk. “It's all right, Aunt Glenna. I promise you, I've come to this decision all by myself. I know what I'm doing and I'm not doing it to please the family. I appreciate your concern, though.”
Glenna nodded slowly. “I was afraid of that. You're doing it for yourself, aren't you?”
“Yes.”
“I had begun to suspect that.”
Jessie scowled. “Suspect it?”
“It's strange, really. But I never thought you were the type to become obsessed with your role as Vincent's heir. I always believed it had been thrust upon you and was basically unwelcome. I assumed, based on the patterns of early childhood, that your tendency to be an enabler had motivated you to accept the role, but I never actually thought you wanted it. I never thought the money and the power meant that much to you.”
“Money and power? What are you talking about?”
“I always saw you as trapped. I actually felt sorry for you, you know. I wanted to help you set yourself free. But now it's obvious that you're in this position willingly.”
Jessie sat forward abruptly, shocked. “Aunt Glenna, what is this all about? I'm not marrying Hatch in order to get control of the company. The last thing I want is control of Benedict Fasteners.”
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