Nowhere Safe

by Dianna Love

  He’d forgo dinner for bed, with her, in a flash. Lifting her small suitcase, he carried it to her semi-dark room and put it down. Light filtered in from the living room.

  She stood with her back to him. Did she think he’d just walk out and leave her be? Maybe he should, but he was better known for doing what he shouldn’t. Like right now when he shouldn’t be thinking about giving her a full body massage.

  Josh put his hands on her arms, careful not to spook her.

  She turned around and put her hand on his chest. “Leave.”

  He covered her hand and rubbed her cold fingers. “Talk to me, Trish.”

  “Okay. Leave. Now. ”

  Any massaging tonight would be a one-handed date.

  Chapter 34

  Trish climbed out of bed Saturday morning, still exhausted.

  How was she supposed to sleep with Josh one wall away?

  She’d almost folded when he’d tried to get her to talk last night. But that would have been impossible without asking him if what had happened at her house yesterday morning had only been about getting close to her for an investigation.

  He could easily say his lunch with Leanne had to do with task force business, but Trish couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more going on.

  And she couldn’t let go of the feeling she was being used. That he only wanted to be with her to get information.

  Leanne might be fine with that, but Trish was not.

  After calling room service for coffee and taking care of her bathroom needs, she’d just slipped her arms through her short silk kimono when someone tapped at the door and called out, “Room service.”

  Trish rushed across the sitting area and looked through the peephole to see the guy with the tray, then threw the bolt back, grabbed the doorknob and pulled.

  The door had barely opened when a hand hit at eye level, slamming it shut.

  She yelped and jumped back, banging into a solid wall of Josh. “What are you doing? You scared the fool out of me.”

  “That has yet to be seen,” he muttered.

  Trish scooted from under his arm and turned to face him.

  Nothing covered his golden body besides a pair of partially buttoned jeans. His blond hair poked out at odd angles. Everything about him said he’d just climbed out of bed, except for the intensity of those deep-water blues he was using to stare a hole in her.

  “Don’t ever answer the door,” he warned in a rough morning voice. “I’m the only one who opens it.”

  ”I checked first. It’s room service.”

  “You don’t know that’s who it is.” He picked her up at the waist and moved her aside then opened the door, took his time assessing what he saw and stepped back.

  A startled hotel waiter entered and placed a tray on the glass coffee table. Josh tipped him well then flipped the lock back in place behind the departing waiter.

  “See?” she said. “Just coffee.” Before he could respond with more than an annoyed look, the phone on the end table rang. He snatched the receiver away from her reaching hand and spoke.

  “I can’t answer phones either?”

  He ignored her and spoke into the receiver. “Josh.” Silence. “Sure, hold on.”

  She took the phone he offered her. How did anyone know she was in his room?

  “I see you caught up with Josh.” Heidi, thank goodness.

  “How’d you know I was in this room?” Trish asked suspiciously, giving Josh the evil eye for infiltrating her circle of friends. A very small circle.

  “Josh called to let me know how to find you. I feel much better that you’ll be safe with him.”

  Trish disagreed. Danger came in many forms. Josh with no shirt, looking imposing and deadly was sending her hormones bouncing in every wrong direction.

  But Trish was not admitting that with him standing so close. She told Heidi, “I don’t anticipate a problem here.”

  “Wish I could say the same, because we have one here.”

  “What’s wrong?” Had the shop been broken into again?

  “More of an inconvenience than a problem. There’s a gas leak in our building. We’re shut down until the city finds it. They evacuated us and said we couldn’t come back until Monday.”

  “Crap. As if business wasn’t bad enough already.” Trish gritted her teeth. “You and Bunko might as well take the weekend off and enjoy yourself.”

  “You take it easy and try to enjoy yourself, too.”

  Fat chance of that happening. Trish finished the conversation and hung up. A cup of coffee, complete with the right amount of cream, appeared under her nose. Josh waited for her to accept the mug. She didn’t.

  “Trying to get on my good side?” Trish asked.

  “Is that possible?”

  “Normally, I’d say yes, but highly doubtful at this point.”

  Josh set the cup on the table and stepped close enough to invade her personal space. She backed away, but he kept coming until retreat had her rear pinned against the door.

  He threw a hand just above her head, and leaned in intimately. His early morning musky scent invaded her senses. “We’re going to clear up this misconception you have about yesterday.”

  “There is no misconception and there is no reason for us to discuss it.” She pressed her lips together. He wasn’t the only one who could pull off annoyed and dangerous.

  “You are one stubborn woman,” he grumbled then sighed. “Leanne and I were having a professional lunch.”

  “Oh, sure. What was the tactical question? Your place or mine?” Oh, crap. Had she really just said that?

  A muscle in Josh’s jaw ticked, confirming she had absolutely spouted those words. Since she had, what was his blasted answer?

  He shook his head. “I guess there’s only one way to fix this.”

  No chance. She had his number. Josh could talk until he was blue in the face and still not change her mind.

  Trish picked up her chin. “Give it your best shot, Sugar.”

  “Whatever you say.” Josh snatched her into his arms and covered her mouth with a kiss that shot straight to her girl parts. He scooped her bottom with one hand, lifting her completely off the floor, and cupped her head with the other.

  Holy lip lock.

  When she sighed, his tongue slipped between her parted lips, dueling with hers. He tasted like toothpaste and hunger. She understood the hunger part. Trish gripped his shoulders, trying to remember why she hadn’t wanted to do this.

  Must have been momentary insanity.

  He lifted her up against the bulge in his pants and she considered begging. Heat flamed low, burning her up with needing him to touch her everywhere. The harder he kissed the hotter she got until she was panting.

  Josh tore his mouth away and dropped her on her feet.

  Her glazed eyes cleared. What...

  “That should be a good start.” He turned and walked into his bedroom, shutting the door.

  Wait a minute. Where was Josh going?

  Confusion crashed around Trish. She wasn’t fighting mad anymore. He’d shut down that emotion and cranked up her hormones to full throttle. She stared at the closed bedroom door and blew an errant curl off her forehead.

  “Damn.” She picked up her mug and sulked her way to her bedroom. What had that been all about?

  Hadn’t she told him to keep his hands to himself?

  He needed to stick to the rules or do a better job of breaking them.

  Trish pinched the bridge of her nose. What in the world was she thinking? Did she have no self-respect?

  Apparently not when it came to Josh, because her heart wouldn’t let him go, faulty organ that it was.

  The hell with him. Trish jerked a brush through her tangle of curls. She was only a job. He could tag along all he wanted, but his hands better stay in his pockets.

  AA

  The next time Josh had an impulsive idea like kissing Trish, he’d go ahead and just shove a knife through his eye instead.

 
Had to be less painful than kissing her and walking when his body screamed to feel her beneath him. He washed his face and reached for a plush towel, drying off quickly.

  He had to be ready to walk out of the suite on her heels.

  But touching her again was not on the schedule today.

  The only reason he’d kissed her this time was because he couldn’t take another minute of accusation riding her gaze when he hadn’t done anything wrong. No, that hadn’t been the only reason after spending most of the night checking on her. He’d stood in her bedroom doorway for over an hour at one point, watching her breathe, so damned glad she’d arrived safe and alive.

  She’d whimpered on and off with nightmares

  He’d wanted to hold her and let her know she didn’t have to fight her demons alone. Not when he was around.

  When she’d raced out to answer the door this morning, he’d barely stopped her in time. She shouldn’t have left her room with nothing on but that silk napkin with sleeves that hardly counted as clothing.

  No complaints, but a man could only resist so much.

  Then she’d tasted like liquid sex when he’d kissed her. His hands could still feel her tight bottom through the slippery material and he’d known without a doubt that she hadn’t been wearing anything else. Just a thin silky barrier between him and the body he hadn’t been able to get out of his mind since that first kiss.

  Josh peeled his now-snug jeans down past his aching erection and flipped the shower on, cold. What would be the greater challenge for the next two days?

  Keeping Trish safe from danger or from his raging libido that only raged for one woman?

  Chapter 35

  Chatton latched the case on her binoculars and put them into her backpack. She wiped a stream of perspiration from her face. Bloody hot days in this country. But she’d be returning to London soon, leaving Miami’s humidity behind.

  She called the local number from Wayan’s file and waited through several clicks until a man answered, “Time is of the essence.”

  She replied in code, “Tomorrow shows great promise as does the fourth.”

  The connection ended.

  She’d fulfilled her obligation to Czarion by insuring delivery of the three boxes and informing their man that he could pick them up Sunday at four in the morning.

  The General had better come through on his end.

  He wouldn’t be in touch until he had confirmation she was on another continent. By then, whatever was inside those three boxes she’d planted in the High Vision container would be successfully delivered and tested.

  The test involved killing. She was sure of it.

  How many deaths? And why?

  The General knew she’d try to find out what was inside those boxes by following the person who picked them up.

  Whoever was claiming the three boxes would be a skilled operative–the male voice on the phone–who would neither come through the front gate of the shipyard nor allow anyone to trail him.

  That’s why Wayan and The General would expect to see her in Europe on the telly during a time frame that prevented her from being in the US when the three boxes were picked up.

  Two hours on either side of 0400 in Miami Sunday morning.

  Chatton did love a decent challenge.

  Chapter 36

  Trish walked into the hotel suite and tossed her convention bag on the sofa, glad to be out of the crush downstairs after all day surrounded by people. One very long Saturday.

  This was not going to work.

  Josh had to find another hotel room. He could have the one she was supposed to be in right now.

  “You didn’t tell me what Heidi called about.” Josh tossed out that topic when he strolled in behind her.

  Trish searched her mind to revisit the phone call about the shop, after which he’d smothered her with a kiss. All brain cells had gone on holiday at that point. “ReSolution is shut down for the weekend, at least, with a gas leak. Business has been slow with the Big Charlie news, but we’re still losing our best days.”

  “Sorry your shop is going to lose the revenue.” He sounded genuinely disturbed over her loss.

  If he could offer understanding, she could be appreciative. “Thanks, but it’s not your fault.” She started for her bedroom.

  “You going to ignore me all night, too?” Josh asked

  Only to be civil, she turned around to face the body she’d tried not to notice all day. “What are you talking about?”

  “You act like I’m invisible.”

  Oh, she’d seen him just fine. His black slacks, black knit shirt and fawn-colored jacket fit as if each piece had been tailored–a distinct possibility with him. He should save his money.

  That body could turn rags into a fashion statement.

  If he didn’t like being ignored, she had a topic. “Who are you, Josh?”

  That turned him into a statue. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m having a hard time believing that someone who is a computer tech with the FBI makes the kind of money that you’ve thrown around in two days or has the luxury of following me around.”

  He shrugged. “My family has some money.”

  “Fine. I got it.” She turned to leave.

  “Trish, stop.” He caught up to her and grabbed her arm, careful when he turned her around. “Now you’re pissed that my family has money?”

  “No, I’m pissed that you act as though you want me to be open and trusting, but I know nothing about you. I can’t trust what I don’t know.”

  His jaw muscles flexed while he stood there holding her gaze with his fathomless blue one. “What do you want to know?”

  “The truth.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  If she could tell him what Angel said this would be so much simpler, but Angel had only shared so much because she wanted to protect Trish. Breaking that confidence was not the way to thank her. “Where did you go night before last when you left my house?”

  His face closed down. “I can’t discuss my work any more than Zane can.”

  “Where’d you grow up?”

  “On the streets in New York.”

  She believed him, but something had changed from then until now. “Where are your parents?”

  That muscle in his cheek jumped again. “I never knew my parents.”

  “You said your family has money and now that you never knew your parents. That’s a contradiction.” But she sensed that he was telling the truth yet still hiding something.

  Josh must have caught something in her face that gave away her thoughts. He lifted his hand to brush his fingers along her face and cup her cheek. “My life isn’t my own sometimes. I’ve been as honest as I can be with you, but my work requires a certain amount of discretion.”

  “In other words, I’m not to be trusted with personal details.”

  “That’s not...” He ran his hand over his head, ruffling his hair. “I was adopted. I don’t talk about my parents.”

  She nodded, but understanding what he said didn’t mean she could allow herself to get any closer to Josh.

  He lowered his head and kissed her, a gentle touch that felt as though he was trying to tell her something with the kiss that he couldn’t say with words.

  When he lifted his head and looked into her eyes this time, she saw regret. Her heart ached with the need to tell him how much he meant to her and see if that was what it would take to get him to meet her halfway on trust. She was dangerously close to falling all the way over that cliff alone and facing a world of pain once he left.

  Someone beat on the door.

  With resignation heavy in his voice, he said, “I’ll find out who it is.”

  Josh opened the door and Heidi came in, big grin on her face. “Hey, Trish.”

  When they finished hugging, Trish asked, “What are you doing here?”

  “Josh invited me and Bunko up for the weekend. He thought you might like the company.”

  “What about a
room?” Trish asked.

  “He said he had an extra one. We just unpacked.”

  The only extra room Josh had available was mine. But she had no problem giving the room to Heidi...and Bunko.

  Together. They were here together. Nice.

  Trish cut her eyes to Josh, who dropped a casual shoulder against the wall, amusement in his eyes. She didn’t take her eyes off sexy mystery man when she asked Heidi, “And how did you get here?”

  “Oh, that was the coolest part,” Heidi said. “Right, Bunko?” The normally shy, sometimes grim, Bunko actually chuckled. “Way cool.”

  “We flew up on a private jet.” Heidi matched Bunko’s reserved smile with her patent cheerful one.

  Trish raised both eyebrows in question at Josh who sent her a no-big-deal shrug. Just when she felt like she had a handle on him, he threw her a curve.

  Unsure what to say in the face of all he’d done she just said, “This is quite a surprise.”

  “Maybe it won’t be the last one tonight.”

  AA

  How was Trish supposed to hold on to her anger after Josh had flown Heidi and Bunko up here to keep her company? She’d tried to let go of it, and had been doing a bang-up job, until Heidi informed her that Josh made it clear he wanted more eyes on Trish.

  Bottom line? He hadn’t done it because he wanted to do something nice for her. He’d had his own motive. And his protectiveness rivaled Zane’s.

  Even knowing that, and much as she wanted to fight against being smothered, Josh’s concern warmed her. Practicing self defense with Arnie had given her a level of comfort, but some days she didn’t want to fight alone. She wanted to know she had a safe port in a storm.

  That she had more than a safe port. She had someone who cared for her. She wanted it to be Josh.

  Even now her silly heart believed he was here with her for more than information on the mole, but she still didn’t know who Josh was.

  She wrapped her arms around her middle and stared out her hotel bedroom window at a sparkling Atlanta that burst with nightlife. She wanted to feel that alive and stop worrying over every step she made– or more like every misstep she was trying to avoid.

  Maybe she should just stop wondering what was really going on with Josh.